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What jobs did Paul Verlaine hold before becoming known as a poet?
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Paul Verlaine
Paul Verlaine, detail from Un Coin de table, oil painting by Henri Fantin-Latour, 1872; in the Louvre, Paris.
Before establishing himself as a prominent poet, Paul Verlaine held several positions:
- Clerk: After obtaining his baccalauréat in 1862, he worked as a clerk at an insurance company and later at the Paris city hall.1
- Press Officer: During the period when insurrectionists seized power and established the Paris Commune, Verlaine served as a press officer under their council.1
- Teacher: Following his release from prison in 1875, he spent over a year in England teaching French and drawing in Stickney, Boston, and Bournemouth.1
- Farmer: In 1880, he made an unsuccessful attempt at farming alongside his pupil, Lucien Létinois, and the boy's parents.1