Definition of Essay

Essay is derived from the French word essayer, which means “to attempt,” or “to
try.” An essay is a short form of literary composition based on a
single subject matter, and often gives the personal opinion of the author.
A famous English essayist, Aldous Huxley defines essays as, “a literary device for
saying almost everything about almost anything.” The Oxford Dictionary describes
it as “a short piece of writing on a particular subject.” In simple words, we can
define it as a scholarly work in writing that provides the author’s
personal argument.
Types of Essay
There are two forms of essay: literary and non-literary. Literary essays are of four
types:
 Expository Essay – In an expository essay, the writer gives an explanation
of an idea, theme, or issue to the audience by giving his personal opinions.
This essay is presented through examples, definitions, comparisons,
and contrast.
 Descriptive Essay – As it sounds, this type of essay gives a description
about a particular topic, or describes the traits and characteristics of
something or a person in detail. It allows artistic freedom, and creates
images in the minds of readers through the use of the five senses.
 Narrative Essay – Narrative essay is non-fiction, but describes a story with
sensory descriptions. The writer not only tells a story, but also makes a point
by giving reasons.
 Persuasive Essay – In this type of essay, the writer tries to convince his
readers to adopt his position or point of view on an issue, after he provides
them solid reasoning in this connection. It requires a lot of research
to claim and defend an idea. It is also called an argumentative essay.
Non-literary essays could also be of the same types but they could be written in
any format.
Examples of Essay in Literature
Example #1: The Sacred Grove of Oshogbo (By Jeffrey Tayler)
“As I passed through the gates I heard a squeaky voice. A diminutive middle-aged
man came out from behind the trees — the caretaker. He worked a toothbrush-
sized stick around in his mouth, digging into the crevices between algae’d stubs of
teeth. He was barefoot; he wore a blue batik shirt known as a buba, baggy purple
trousers, and an embroidered skullcap. I asked him if he would show me around
the shrine. Motioning me to follow, he spat out the results of his stick work and set
off down the trail.”
This is an example of a descriptive essay, as the author has used descriptive
language to paint a dramatic picture for his readers of an encounter with a stranger.
Example #2: Of Love (By Francis Bacon)
“It is impossible to love, and be wise … Love is a child of folly. … Love is ever
rewarded either with the reciprocal, or with an inward and secret contempt. You
may observe that amongst all the great and worthy persons…there is not one that
hath been transported to the mad degree of love: which shows that great spirits and
great business do keep out this weak passion…That he had preferred Helena,
quitted the gifts of Juno and Pallas. For whosoever esteemeth too much of amorous
affection quitted both riches and wisdom.”
In this excerpt, Bacon attempts to persuade readers that people who want to be
successful in this world must never fall in love. By giving an example of famous
people like Paris, who chose Helen as his beloved but lost his wealth and wisdom,
the author attempts to convince the audience that they can lose their mental balance
by falling in love.
Example #3: The Autobiography of a Kettle (By John Russell)
“I am afraid I do not attract attention, and yet there is not a single home in which I
could done without. I am only a small, black kettle but I have much to interest me,
for something new happens to me every day. The kitchen is not always a cheerful
place in which to live, but still I find plenty of excitement there, and I am quite
happy and contented with my lot …”
In this example, the author is telling an autobiography of a kettle, and describes the
whole story in chronological order. The author has described the kettle as a human
being, and allows readers to feel, as he has felt.
Function of Essay
The function of an essay depends upon the subject matter, whether the writer wants
to inform, persuade, explain, or entertain. In fact, the essay increases the analytical
and intellectual abilities of the writer as well as readers. It evaluates and tests the
writing skills of a writer, and organizes his or her thinking to respond personally or
critically to an issue. Through an essay, a writer presents his argument in a more
sophisticated manner. In addition, it encourages students to develop concepts and
skills, such as analysis, comparison and contrast, clarity, exposition, conciseness,
and persuasion.
English Essay: Origin, Development and Growth

      The 'essay' as a form of literature is not of ancient origin. It was in 1571 that
the 'essay' was invented by the French philosopher, Montaigne. He called his short,
philosophical writings which were the products of moments by the French word
assai, which means 'attempt'. Since then the word 'essay' has been applied to
compositions of the kind that Montaigne attempted.

      The essays of Montaigne were short in compass, light in tone and treatment,
personal and discursive. They appeared in France about 1580 and in English in
1603. Dr. Samuel Johnson has defined the essay "as a loose sally of the mind, an
irregular undigested piece; not a regular or orderly composition." The definition,
though not complete, is quite happy for it covers the miscellaneous prose that goes
by the name 'essay' "An essay, therefore, must in other words be short,
unmethodical, personal and written in a style that is literary, easy and elegant." An
essay is moulded by a central mood and resembles as 'lyric'.

      The essay has its roots in the prose-writings of the Elizabethan period,
particularly in the works of Lodge, Lyly, Greene, Sir Philip Sidney etc. But the
first real essayist in English is Francis Bacon, "the wisest, brightest and meanest of
mankind" in the - words of the English poet, Alexander Pope. His essays are
modelled on Montaigne's and appeared first in 1597. They have a wide variety of
themes; they are brief and lacking in intimacy of personal note. They are rather the
grave musings of a philosopher than the whim-whams of the intimate literary
essayist, like Charles Lamb. He drafted his first ten essays published in 1597, but
increased the number to 58 in 1625. Bacon calls his essays, 'detached meditations'.
Bacon's essays are meant for some moral observations. They are short and pithy.
His essays are counsels of a shrewd man of the world based on his personal
experiences and observations of men and manners. Bacon wanted to write for the
young men of ambition who wanted complete self-realisation. His essays include
of Truth, of Studies, of Travel, of Adversity, of Envy, of Love etc. His crisp and
epigrammatic sentences read like aphorisms. He writes clear and self-conscious
prose. Bacon's essays had neither the discursiveness nor the grace of Montaigne's
essays. According to him, his essays are "brief notes set down rather significantly
than anxiously."

      The defects of Bacon were remedied by Abraham Cowley (1618-1867) who is

the first conscious essayist in English literature and has been called, indeed "the
father of the English essay". His essays like On Myself, The Garden are the
examples of the intimate familiar essay. His style is somewhat heavy but his tone is
intimate. He is a link between Bacon and Addison. Other writers of the first half of
the seventeenth century, like Burton, Fuller, Joseph Hall, John Earle, Sir Thomas
Overbury carried the development of the essay one step farther. The last three
wrote short character-sketches, full of humour and showing deep insight into
human characters. They are called 'Characters'.

      During the Restoration period Dryden and Temple cast their criticisms of
poetry and observations of life in the form of delightful essays. Dryden's Essays on
Dramatic Poesie (1668), Temple's Essays on Poetry (1685) are too long to be
strictly called 'essays'. They are essays only in name. Locke's famous philosophical
treatise is called An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), but it has
little of the essay in it. These show how the 'essay' had cast its spell on the writers
who chose to call their critical or philosophical writings by the name 'essay'.

      In the Eighteenth century, with the rise of the periodicals, the essay fully
established itself as a popular literary form. Defoe, the immediate precursor of the
golden age of prose, gave the essay a strain of irony and a simple, clear and
realistic style. Addison and Steele, in their periodicals The Tatler and The
Spectator wrote essays with a frankly didactic purpose, namely to reform
contemporary manners and morals. They brought philosophy to the coffee-table, as
they happily said. Addison contributed 274 and Steele 236 essays to The Spectator.
The essays were on an infinite variety of subjects. Their manners were also varied.
Sometimes they used allegory as a device to make their themes attractive. The
Vision of Mirza from the pen of Addison is a beautiful allegorical essay.

      Addison was the greater master of English prose. His inimitable humour,
suavity, imagination added considerably to the charm and grace of his essay. His
style is a model one-simple direct amd graceful and sometimes even rhythmical.
Steele's essays are full o human sympathy; his pathos is soft and attractive. His
style in rather slip-shod, lacking the finish of Addison's prose.