Dutch poet of the Tachtigers and man of letters.
Kloos was most noted for his Advaita sonnet: “Ik ben een God in ‘t diepst van mijn gedachten. En zit in ‘t binnenst van mijn ziel ten troon. Over mij zelf en ‘t al, naar rijksgeboôn. Van eigen strijd en zege, uit eigen krachten.” A free translation of it could be: “I am a God in my most intimate thoughts. And I can watch from within, the soul being my throne. The occurrences to me and all others, as they just seem to happen. I see my inner struggle and salvation, coming as a power from within me.”
He was the son of the taylor Willem Johannes Theodorus Kloos (2 Augustus 1826, Amsterdam – 22 May 1912, Bussum) and Anna Cornelia Amelse (15 Augustus 1832, Amsterdam – 18 September 1860, 8h00 PM Amsterdam, according to the Municipal Archive). They married 17 July 1858 in Amsterdam. But his mother died when he was only one year old, shortly after the birth of his smaller brother Johannes Cornelis Kloos (27 June 1860, A’dam – 11 October 1860, A’dam), who also died to early. His father remarried on 14 November 1861 Sophia Petronella van Beresteyn.
He followed the Higher civil school, took lessons Greek and Latin and entered in 1879 the study classic languages at the Municipal University of Amsterdam. In 1880 he met the poet Jacques Perk ((10 June 1859, Dordrecht – 1 November 1881, 17 PM Amsterdam), who died early (age 22) of lung disease. Perks work Mathilde belongs to canon of Dutch literature and was posthumously (1882) published by Carel Vosmaer and Kloos. Both Perk and Kloos were influenced by the romantic poet Shelley.
In 1885 he was one of the founders of “De Nieuwe Gids” (The New Guide), together with Frederik van Eeden, Albert Verwey, Frank van der Goes and Willem Paap. The rich painter Willem Witsen and photographer financed the project. Kloos became the theorist of the movement of the eighties, proclaiming l’art pour l’art and individualism, instead of the moralistic literature of the petit bourgeoisie and pastors generation before. With Shelly they said: “Kunst is de allerindividueelste expressie van de allerindividueelste emotie”.
Between 1880 and 1885 Kloos wrote his best poetry, most of which appeared years later in The New Guide. He lost inspiration later in life, and in 1888 he sought psychiatric treatment for depression with Frederik van Eden. One issue was his concealed homosexuality in an Amsterdam without GayPride, instead there were stinking channels and the social issue undermined “De Nieuwe Gids”. His companion Frank van der Goes became a socialistic leader, others married and got a family and job, but Kloos withdrew and became a lonely alcoholic.
On 4 January 1900 Kloos married the daughter of a military officer Jeanne Reyneke van Stuwe (1 September 1874, Soerakarta – 24 July 1951, Den Haag). It was a marriage de raison. They got no children. Reyneke van Stuwe wrote more than sixty novels, translated some thirty novels into Dutch, but never got much attention. But via Kloos, she became a member of the New Guide.
She more or less structured his life. Shortly before the marriage he had been admitted for delirium tremens. But the poet Boutens noted: “Die mevrouw Kloos heeft haar man behalve van zijn alcoholisme ook van zijn poëzie afgeholpen” (Mrs. Kloos cured his alcoholism, but also his poetry).
He died 31 March 1938 in Den Haag at age 78.
Link to Wikipedia