Madness and the Romantic Poet – Genius, Mental Illness, and Literary Myth

In this episode ofThe Mad Genius Thesis Podcast, we exploreMadness and the Romantic Poet, a deep dive into the origins and evolution of the Romantic mad poet archetype. The book traces how mental illness, poetic inspiration, and genius became deeply intertwined in 19th-century literature, biography, and psychiatry. We examine how figures like Wordsworth, Coleridge, Blake, Shelley, Keats, Byron, and John Clare shaped—and were shaped by—the growing myth of the tortured, unstable genius. Was this just a sentimental stereotype, or does its enduring popularity reveal something deeper about Romanticism and the cultural perception of creativity and madness? Join us as we unravel the legacy of the mad poet myth and its impact on literature and modern culture.🎧 Listen now on Spotify! #MadGenius #Romanticism #PoetryAndMadness #CreativeGenius #MentalHealth #Podcast