Poet is reserved about French female (7)
I believe the answer is:
shelley
'poet' is the definition.
(Percy Bysshe Shelley 1792-1822)
'reserved about french female' is the wordplay.
'reserved' becomes 'shy' (I've seen this in another clue).
'about' indicates putting letters inside.
'french female' becomes 'elle' ('she' in French).
'shy' placed around 'elle' is 'SHELLEY'.
'is' is the link.
(Other definitions for shelley that I've seen before include "Mary - - (Gothick writer)" , "Ode to the West Wind poet" , "Writer of To a skylark" , "Percy Bysshe . . . . . . ., great English poet" , "English Romantic poet" .)