JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div id="outer">
    <div id="inner">
        <div class="blur">
        </div>
        <div class="text"><h2>Kittens.</h2>They're fluffy.
        </div>
        
    </div>
</div>

CSS

#outer {
    height: 300px;
    width: 400px;
    padding-top: 100px;
    background-image: url('http://placekitten.com/400/400');
}

#inner {
    margin: 0px auto;
    margin-top: 0px;
    width: 50%;
    height: 50%;
    
}

#inner .blur {
    position: relative;
    top: 0px;
    left: 0px;
    width: 200px;
    height: 200px;
    background-image: url('http://placekitten.com/400/400');
    background-position: center -100px;
    -webkit-filter: blur(10px);
    -moz-filter: blur(10px);
    -o-filter: blur(10px);
    -ms-filter: blur(10px);
    filter: blur(10px);
    filter: blur(10px);
}

#inner .text {
    position: relative;
    top: -200px;
    left: 0px;
    width: 200px;
    height: 200px;
    padding: 30px;    
    font-family: sans-serif;
    font-size: 20px;
}