Jane Dotson
The American modernist poet Wallace Stevens is arguably the most famous literary figure to hold down a day job, spending most of his life as an insurance executive in Hartford, Connecticut. Stevens, who won two National Book Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for his sensuous and naturalistic poetry, was a well-paid, high-powered businessman-lawyer by day and a poet during his leisure time. Stevens' specialty in insurance was surety and fidelity, turning profits from cautiously optimistic bets on human nature. Stevens' poetry, on the other hand, dealt with abstract ideas and universal fluctuation, with recurring themes of symbolism and enigma.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Wallace Stevens |
| Birth Date | 2 October 1879 |
| Death Date | 2 August 1955 |
| Birth Place | Reading, Pennsylvania |
| Education | Harvard University, New York Law School |
| Occupation | Insurance Executive |
| Genre | Modernist |
| Awards | Two National Book Awards, Pulitzer Prize |
| Notable Works | "The Snow Man", "The Emperor of Ice-Cream", "Sunday Morning", "The Idea of Order at Key West", "The Auroras of Autumn" |
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What You'll Learn
Early life and education
Wallace Stevens was born on October 2, 1879, in Reading, Pennsylvania. The son of a prosperous lawyer, Stevens attended Harvard as a non-degree three-year special student from 1897 to 1900. He served as the 1901 president of The Harvard Advocate. After graduating from Harvard, Stevens moved to New York City, where he worked briefly as a journalist. He then attended the New York School of Law from 1901 to 1904. After graduating from law school, Stevens worked for various law firms in New York City, including a brief stint in a law partnership with former Harvard classmate Lyman Ward.
Stevens' early career was marked by a series of job changes as he worked to establish himself in the field of law. In 1908, he accepted a position with the American Bonding Company, an insurance firm, which was later purchased by the Fidelity and Deposit Company. During this time, Stevens experienced several significant personal changes, including his marriage to Elsie Viola Kachel in 1909 and the deaths of his parents in 1911 and 1912, respectively.
In 1913, Stevens was enjoying great success in the field of insurance law, and he soon resumed writing poetry. He published his first poems in 1914 in the periodical Trend and Harriet Monroe's publication, Poetry. These works are often considered his first mature writings. After beginning to publish his poems, Stevens left his position at the Fidelity and Deposit Company in 1916 to work for the Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company, where he would remain for the rest of his life.
Stevens' career as a businessman-lawyer by day and a poet during his leisure time has intrigued many. He managed to excel in both fields, becoming a successful insurance executive and a renowned poet. Stevens' poetry drew on symbolism and enigma, with recurring themes of universal fluctuation and the death of God. He grappled with the implications of a world without God and tried to remedy this loss by making poetry stand in for religion.
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Career in insurance law
The poet Wallace Stevens spent most of his life working as an insurance executive in Hartford, Connecticut. Stevens was an American modernist poet, educated at Harvard and New York Law School. He worked as an executive for an insurance company, rising through the ranks to become vice president in 1932.
Now, onto the topic of a career in insurance law.
Overview
Insurance law is a dynamic and continually evolving field that involves the collection of laws and regulations that relate to insurance contracts. Insurance is a contract between two parties, where the risk of loss is transferred to the other party in exchange for a premium fee. Insurance laws manage the offering, buying, selling, and claims processes for various types of insurance, including personal property, life, disability, and identity theft.
Career Prospects
A career in insurance law can provide stability and ongoing work. Insurance attorneys often work for insurance companies, advising on the legitimacy of insurance policies, transactions, and claims. They may also work in compliance or lobbying. There may be opportunities for advancement within insurance companies, and contracts can last for decades.
Education and Qualifications
To become an insurance attorney, one typically needs four years of undergraduate studies and three years at law school. While there is no required undergraduate major, good communication, writing, analytical, and logical skills are essential. A multidisciplinary background is advantageous, with courses in computer science, foreign languages, economics, history, or mathematics being useful. Insurance attorneys also need specific qualifications in accounts and tax practices. Licensure is required to practice, which typically involves passing a written bar exam.
Job Roles and Responsibilities
Insurance attorneys act as advisors and advocates in insurance claims related to fires, floods, liabilities, insurance fraud, health insurance, and more. They advise clients on their legal rights and options and represent them in civil or criminal courts. They also work with insurance companies to protect them against unwarranted claims and ensure compliance with the law. This may include studying and recommending changes to insurance policies and advising claims departments on the legitimacy of claims.
Example Job Opportunities
- Commercial/Insurance Litigation Solicitor
- Senior Legal Advisor
- Subrogated Recoveries Lawyer
- Property & Casualty Claims Handler
- Corporate Insurance Lawyer
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Literary influences
The American modernist poet Wallace Stevens spent most of his life working as an insurance executive in Hartford, Connecticut. Stevens' career as a businessman-lawyer and poet has been summarised in Thomas Grey's "The Wallace Stevens Case". Stevens' work in insurance and poetry has been described as "arguably the most famous literary day job of the twentieth century".
Stevens' poetry drew on the symbolism and enigma evoked by the paintings of Klee and Cezanne, with a recurring theme of universal fluctuation. Stevens himself argued that poets should be "out there", and he certainly embodied this belief, publicly (and drunkenly) debating with Robert Frost, and later, Ernest Hemingway. Stevens' work has been compared to that of Dante and Milton by William Carlos Williams, and he is considered to be among the twentieth century's most powerful and refined poets, alongside Rilke, Yeats, and Neruda.
Stevens' poetry has been described as "sensuous and naturalistic", and he is known for his mastery of language, form, and style. His work was not without its critics, however, who charged that the obscurity, abstraction, and self-contained nature of his work were inappropriate during a time of international strife. Stevens responded that the world was improving, not degenerating, and he largely held himself detached from politics and world affairs.
Stevens' work was influenced by his philosophical views, grappling with the implications of the death of God, and trying to remedy this loss by making poetry stand in for religion. Stevens was also influenced by the philosopher George Santayana, whom he was introduced to while living in Boston, and whose book "Interpretations of Poetry and Religion" greatly influenced Stevens.
Stevens' work in insurance influenced his poetry, with critics drawing connections between his work in surety and fidelity and his poetry, which operates with calculated risks, little crises in consciousness, and endings that are painstakingly managed victories for the poet's equanimity.
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Poetic style and themes
The poetic style and themes of Wallace Stevens, an American modernist poet, are known for their unique blend of philosophical and psychological insights, grappling with the implications of the death of God and the role of poetry in a secular age. Stevens' work reflects his background in insurance, with themes of risk, human nature, and the interplay between imagination and reality.
Stevens' poetry is characterised by his mastery of language, form, and style, resulting in a complex body of work that explores abstract ideas and philosophical themes. Stevens' early work, such as "An odor from a star," reveals a restless and skittish mind, while his later work demonstrates a more mature and refined style. Stevens' poetry often dealt with weighty themes, such as the death of God and the subsequent search for meaning, as seen in his notion of a "Supreme Fiction" to replace old religious ideas. Stevens' work also reflects his personal struggles with depression and his attempts to find solace and redemption in poetry.
Stevens' work is also notable for its exploration of the imagination and its role in shaping our understanding of the world. In his essay "Imagination as Value," Stevens argues that our imagination imposes ideas of order on the world before reason can establish them. This theme is prevalent in his poetry, where he attempts to find a "Supreme Fiction" that can correct and improve outdated notions of religion and God. Stevens' work often blurs the lines between the philosophical and the psychological, as he grapples with the complexities of human existence in a secular age.
Stevens' background in insurance also influenced his poetic style and themes. As an insurance executive, Stevens dealt with calculated risks and human nature, themes that found their way into his poetry. His work often explores little crises in consciousness, carefully managed endings, and the interplay between the individual and the statistical abstraction of human beings in the aggregate. Stevens' day job provided him with a unique perspective on the world, influencing his artistic risk-taking and his exploration of the relationship between institutions, impersonal systems, and the individual.
Stevens' poetic style and themes also reflect his engagement with other poets and artistic movements. He was influenced by poets such as Donald Evans, William Carlos Williams, and Marianne Moore, and his work engaged with modernists like Marcel Duchamp. Stevens' work showcases a unique blend of vernacular free verse and sumptuous blank verse, resulting in a style that is both powerful and refined in its eloquence.
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Awards and recognition
The American modernist poet Wallace Stevens is known for spending most of his life working as an insurance executive. Stevens' first book of poetry, Harmonium, was published in 1923 and republished in 1930. Two more books of his poetry were produced during the 1920s and 1930s, and three more in the 1940s. Stevens received several awards and recognition for his work, including:
- The Pulitzer Prize in 1955.
- Two National Book Awards for Poetry in 1951 and 1955.
- Recognition as the "quintessential American poet of the twentieth century" in 1954.
- A Distinguished Achievement Award from Carleton College in 2010, awarded to his biographer, Alison Johnson.
Stevens' work has been described as "sensuous and naturalistic", with his poetry dealing with subjects such as the implications of the death of God and the constant compulsion to cheer himself up. Stevens' poetry has also been adapted for music, such as in the case of "Peter Quince at the Clavier".
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Frequently asked questions
Wallace Stevens spent most of his life as an insurance executive.
Stevens worked as a lawyer and an executive for an insurance company in Hartford, Connecticut. He specialised in surety and fidelity claims.
Yes, Stevens also worked as a journalist and briefly in a law partnership with a former Harvard classmate.
Yes, Stevens won two National Book Awards and a Pulitzer Prize.
Stevens attended Harvard as a non-degree student from 1897 to 1900 and was the 1901 president of The Harvard Advocate. He later attended New York Law School.
