Alfred Louis Charles de Musset, (December 11, 1810 – May 2, 1857) was a French dramatist, poet, and novelist.
De Musset was born in Paris and died in Paris.
De Musset was an important figure in the Romantic literary movement. He trained in both law and medicine, but he turned to literature after finding a distaste for dissections. He is remembered mainly for his poetic works.
The tale of his celebrated love affair with George Sand, which lasted from 1833 to 1835, is told from his point of view in his autobiographical novel, La Confession d'un Enfant du Siècle, and from her point of view in her Elle et lui.
Musset was elected to the Academie Française in 1852.
On his passing, Alfred de Musset was interred in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
Criticism
French poet Arthur Rimbaud was highly critical of the work of Alfred de Musset. He wrote in his famous Letters of a Seer (Lettres du Voyant) that Musset didn't accomplish anything because he "closed his eyes" before the visions. (Lettre à Paul Demeny, mai 1871)
Works:
- Comtes d'Espagne et d'Italie (1830)
- Premières poésies
- Poésies nouvelles (includes Les Nuits)
- On ne badine pas avec l'amour
- Barberine
- Un Caprice
- Il faut qu'une porte soit ouverte ou fermé
- Lorenzaccio
- La Confession d'un enfant du siècle (autobiographical)
