About the Author

Henri Cazalis (Jean Lahor) was a French doctor born in Cormeilles-en-Parisis in 1840. Cazalis was a symbolist poet and published under the pseudonyms Jean Caselli and Jean Lahor for many of his collections of poems and letters, including "The Illusion."Along with Sully Prudhomme (awarded the first Nobel Prize for Literature), Cazalis founded" The Society for the Protection of Landscapes and Aesthetics in France "which aims to protect the landscapes and heritage of the land to ensure a better quality of life in France. The society is still active today. Cazalis also corresponded with French poet and art critic, Stephane Mallarme.