The Genius of the Crowd Essay

Jonah Pohl 2/5/16

"The Genius of the Crowd" Essay

        "The Genius of the Crowd" is a poem that states that almost all people are full of hatred, and that this hate is the one type of genius that all people possess. The average person possesses hatred, even those who preach against it, and this hatred is a form of genius. First off, every average person is filled with hatred, and within them is enough hatred to suppy an army. In other words, almost everyone is full of hate. Secondly, even those who preach against hate contain it, and are considered by the narrator of this poem to be hypocrites. These hypocrites are often more full of hate than those whom they are teaching. Finally, the hatred that consumes the average man is actually the most perfect thing they will ever create, and is considered genius. Hatred is a form of genius which all average people, especially those who claim not to, contain.

        The average person is full of hate. The narrator of this poem claims that all average people are full of hate, and says, "There is enough treachery, hatred violence absurdity in the average Human being to supply any given army on any given day." The narrator describes different people he has encountered, the preachers, the knowers, those who seek crowds, those who are quick to censor, and all average people. He tells the reader to beware these people, as they are full of hate. It is because they are average, however, that they are full of hate. These average people cannot understand art or love, and as a result will consider other's love to be incomplete. Their inability to understand love will cause them to develop hate, which will grow until it consumes them. Every average person is filled with hatred.

        Those who preach against hatred are hypocrites. The author states; "the best at murder are those who preach against it, And the best at hate are those who preach love,And the best at war finally are those who preach peace." The author, Charles Bukowski, states this in order to show his belief that all people are full of hate, and that those who teach otherwise are hypocrites who are more full of hate than those they preach to. Bukowski, who happens to be a fervent atheist, was no doubt also alluding to organized religions such as Christianity and Islam, who have throughout the ages killed thousands in the name of peace. Bukowski continues, "Those who preach god, need god;Those who preach peace do not have peace,Those who preach peace do not have love," reitterating his belief in the hypocrisy of mankind. Those who preach peace are hate-filled hypocrites.