Essay, n., from the French essayer – to attempt

We all know a thing or two about essay writing, and for better or worse, our experience of essays at school can have a monumental impact on how we look upon the genre, and the history of the genre, as a whole. Perhaps we’ve gotten some positive feedback, and we feel like we’re pretty good at putting an argument together cogently on paper. Perhaps essay writing has always been a drag, and you find yourself wondering what the point of it all is. 

What I want you to understand is that essay writing constitutes one of the most impactful and cogent expressions of idea transmission ever invented. A great essay can change culture, it can change politics, it can change the world. 

Like many of our other literary forms, the essay has a rich and varied history that spans centuries, encompassing a wide range of styles, themes, and approaches. From its origins in ancient philosophical and literary traditions to its evolution into a prominent form of expression in modern times, the essay has played a significant role in shaping human thought and culture. 

Let’s dig a bit deeper. 

The origins of the essay can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as Greece and Rome, where philosophers and scholars engaged in critical thinking and reflection on various topics. Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle wrote dialogues and treatises that explored fundamental questions of ethics, politics, and metaphysics, laying the groundwork for early forms of the essay. However, it was Michel de Montaigne whom I like to think of as the Granddaddy of the Modern Essay. 

Montaigne was from Bordeaux, and he lived on and managed his family estate. In the 16th century, he began writing about various aspects of his life in a wise, snappy, insightful, and deeply humane way. It was a formula that would work out for him. Montaigne's essays were introspective, and reflective—in them we find one man taking a deep and honest look at different aspects of the world around him; he tackled a wide range of subjects, from friendship to solitude to lying, to the nature of experience and human nature itself. Montaigne's Essays are great bedside reading, and although they are heavy enough to keep the papers from rustling around on your desk, or to prop the kitchen door open, I suggest trying them out on your lap beneath the light of a lamp, preferably with a cup of tea and a plate of homemade cookies, if that’s your sort of thing. 

During the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, the essay genre gained further prominence, with writers such as Francis Bacon, Samuel Johnson, and Jonathan Swift contributing to its evolution, sometimes in a purely erudite mode, sometimes to pursue the literary criticism, other times as scathing satire and social commentary. 

The essay could do it all. It could absorb and reflect back the personality of its practitioner.

Bacon's essays, published in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, were known for their pithy aphorisms and practical wisdom, exploring various aspects of human knowledge and experience. Johnson's essays in the 18th century were known for their moral and ethical reflections, while Swift's satirical essays critiqued societal norms and political institutions of his time.

In the 19th century, the essay continued to mature, and American authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau employed it for their hybrid intellectual-educational-spiritual style. Emerson's eternal essays, the heights of which include "Self-Reliance" and "Nature," emphasize individuality, and use the form to make nuanced statements about the self and society and art. Thoreau's brand of essay writing, particularly in his work Walden, reflects on his experiences living simply and close to nature, advocating for a more mindful and intentional way of living. Both of these authors have been read continually, up to and including the present day.

In the 20th century, the essay genre further diversified and expanded its scope, with writers like Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, Joan Didion, and James Baldwin making significant contributions. Woolf's essays explored feminist and gender issues, while Orwell's essays critiqued social and political injustices. Baldwin's essays delved into the African-American experience, race relations, and the struggle for civil rights.

Next time you’ve got to write an essay for school, remember that, as long as you play within the set of parameters your teacher and the assignment call for, the essay can be an incredible opportunity for self-expression and self-actualization. Happy reading.