Unconventional Artists
Consider Rousseau, for example, who developed what we now consider the modern autobiography. The deeply personal content and his introspective approach was unheard of in his day, but we have come to expect those very features in modern autobiographical works. Wordsworth shared intense personal experiences in his poetry—again, an unusual effort at the time, but something we consider typical today. Voltaire, Dickinson, Keats—these writers experimented with form, theme, and perspective, and their genius, to some extent, was not completely recognized or appreciated in their time. Emily Dickinson was, perhaps, the most unconventional poet of her era, and her talents are still recognized today.
For your essay, compare Dickinson’s works and approach to an artist from another era and/or medium. You can write about a painter, poet, songwriter, performer, producer, director, or even an athlete or an architect who has been considered “ahead of his/her time” or who has approached his/her craft from a new and unique angle. The options are practically unlimited.
