William Duff's An Essay on Original Genius is a seminal work in the study of creativity and the human imagination. Duff explores the nature and forms of genius in the realms of philosophy, the fine arts, and especially poetry, tracing the history of originality through the ages and offering his own theories on how genius is expressed and cultivated. Filled with incisive observations and rich examples drawn from literature and art, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the nature of creative inspiration. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.