Alfred de Musset (1810-1857) was a French dramatist and poet, regarded as one of the first Romantic writers. He was also a prolific novelist of the romantic period and wrote some of the most memorable literary masterpieces of all times. Much influenced by Shakespeare and Schiller, Alfred de Musset wrote the first modern dramas in the French language. His early poems and plays were much appreciated in the French society earning him the reputation of being a dandy. In 1845 he was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. Musset was elected to the French Academy in 1852.
Nowadays Musset's popularity is second only to Racine and Moliere. "My glass is not big, but I drink out of my own glass," he once stated self-consciously. Musset had a profound grasp of the psychology of love and his portraits of women were multidimensional.