Carel Steven Adama van Scheltema

Who was Carel Steven Adama van Scheltema?

Carel Steven Adama van Scheltema was a Dutch socialist poet.

Son of a wealthy art connoisseur and -dealer, Adama van Scheltema studied medicine for two years before dropping out to pursue his artistic interests. He worked for the Dutch Drama Society and in an art gallery before his father died in 1899, leaving him financially independent. Allowed to concentrate upon literature, Adama van Scheltema started writing poetry and abandoned the naturalist prose which had until then been his main affection. In 1900, he published his first collection of poems, "Een weg van verzen".

For Adama van Scheltema, socialism and nature were prominent sources of inspiration. He developed his thoughts into his 1907 book, "De grondslagen eener nieuwe poëzie". This book marked a decisive break with the Tachtigers, whose mentality of l'art pour l'art had been very influential in the Netherlands. Adama van Scheltema instead asserted that art should have a social function and be available to the masses.

When working on this book, Adama van Scheltema hired Anna Catharina Kleefstra as a secretary. They soon fell in love and were married on 24 October 1907. The marriage, while childless, was happy, and the couple moved between different European cities before settling down in the small Dutch town of Bergen, North Holland. There Adama van Scheltema, a melancholic as well as a nature-lover, was able to find peace of mind.