Apology of Genius (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Mina Loy
- First Published: 1922
- Type of Work: Lyric
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric poetry
- Subjects: Culture, Intellectuals, Authors or writers, Art or artists, Poetry or poets, Genius, Painting or painters, Intellect
The Poem
The title “Apology of Genius” invokes the classical meaning of “apology” as apologia: a vigorous explanation and defense of the subject. In the poem the speaker will defend “genius,” or inborn talents and capacities beyond the normal or ordinary. In particular, the poem refers to an artistic avant-garde that creates new kinds of beauty unrecognized by the philistine masses. The voice in the poem speaks for this group, explaining that “we are with God” and “we come among you.” “We” appears to be those infused with genius, who are radically...
[The entire page is 1534 words long]

