The Irish Penny Journal, Vol. 1 No. 19, November 7, 1840Various
History
The Irish Penny Journal, Vol. 1 No. 19, November 7, 1840
Various
Ireland -- Periodicals
While under the hallucination alluded to, however, the sort of geniuses
of whom we speak are rather amusing subjects of study. We have known
a great many of them in our day, and have found that they resolve
themselves into distinct classes, such classes being formed by certain
differing characteristics and pretensions: the individuals of each class,
however, presenting in their peculiarities a striking resemblance to each
other.
First comes, at any rate in such order shall we take them, the Poetical
Genius. This is a poor, bleached-faced thing, with a simpering,
self-satisfied countenance, an effeminate air and manner, and of
insufferable conceit. It is an insolent creature too, for it treats
you and everybody with the most profound contempt. Its calm, confident
smirk, and lack-a-daisical look, are amongst the most provoking things in
nature, and always inspire you with a violent desire to kick it out of
your presence.
The poetical genius is by far the most useless of the whole tribe of
geniuses. Wrapt up in his misty, maudlin dreams of cerulean heavens, and
daisied meads, and purling rills, he is totally unfitted for the ordinary
business of ordinary life. He is besides not unfrequently a little
deranged in his upper works. Having heard, or having of himself imbibed
a notion, that madness and genius are allied, he, although of perfectly
sane mind originally, takes to raving, to staring wildly about him, and
to practising various of the other extravagances of insanity, till he
becomes actually half cracked: some of them indeed get stark staring mad.
The poetical genius is addicted to tea parties, and to writing in albums.
He also much affects the society of tabbies: for of all his admirers he
finds them the most liberal and indiscriminate in their praise. These
good creatures drench him with weak tea, and he in return doses them with
still weaker poetry. This is the class that supplies the newspapers with
the article just named, at least so named by courtesy, figuring therein
as J. F.’s and P. D.’s, &c.
The next class of geniuses which we propose to consider, is the
Oratorical Genius. This person labours under the delusion of supposing
himself a second Demosthenes. He is a great frequenter of debating
societies, and other similar associations, where he makes long, prosy,
unintelligible speeches--speeches full of mist and moonshine, in which no
human being can discover the slightest trace of drift or purpose. These
frothy, bubble-and-squeak orations the young gentleman prepares at home,
fitting himself and them for public exhibition by raving and ranting
them over in his own room, to the great annoyance of his neighbours.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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