the continuing adventures of t. s. eliot

many people know that t.s. eliot was a highly successful banker. but did you also know that he wrote poetry?

one day, i. a. richards had a run-in with one of eliot’s bosses at lloyd’s bank and learned the following about his banking prospects:

Bank Official: Tell me, if you will—you won’t mind my asking, will you? Tell me, is he, in your judgement, would you say, would you call him a good poet?

Richards: Well, in my judgment—not everyone would agree, of course, far from it—he is a good poet.

Bank Official: : You know, I myself am really very glad indeed to hear you say that. Many of my colleagues wouldn’t agree at all. They think a Banker has no business whatever to be a poet. They don’t think the two things can combine. But I believe that anything a man does, whatever his hobby may be, it’s all the better if he is really keen on it and does it well. I think it helps him with his work. If you see our young friend, you might tell him that we think he’s doing quite well at the Bank. In fact, if he goes on as he has been doing, I don’t see why—in time, of course, in time—he mightn’t even become a Branch Manager.

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source: t. s. eliot: the man and his work edited by allen tate, (1967).