The mystery of essay writing

Essay writing was a compulsory subject in schools in the past and students were encouraged to write on diverse subjects. Some schools used to hold essay competitions. However, today essay writing has taken a backseat. Even the few essayists produced by our schools find it difficult to have their essays published because publishers say that they do not have a ready market. So, essay writing, like poetry, remains an unprofitable exercise in most developing countries.

Very broadly, an essay is something you do by yourself. The subject matter can be anything from ethics to space science, but the essayist adds his charm of personality to his writing. When we read essays written by Charles Lamb, Thomas Carlyle, William Hazlitt or G.K. Chesterton, we come across their different personalities. These essayists write about things they had smelt, heard, seen, perceived, thought or invented.

Unlike other professionals, the essayist has no boundaries as far as the subject matter is concerned. The most important aspect in essay writing is that the essayist should express himself beautifully.

The essayist belongs to the great tradition of literature. However, he is different from the poet, novelist and dramatist. Montaign who wrote partly autobiographical essays, is considered the first essayist in English literature. He owed a great deal to Cicero who wrote on abstract topics in a conversational way. Cicero himself was influenced by Plato's 'Dialogues.'

Robert Browning: fine poet

Charles Lamb wrote romantic essays

Today, students are taught how to do things and not how to think. This may be the reason why we have no noteworthy essayists. A good essayist wears his heart upon his sleeve. He cannot live in a castle with armed guards at the gate. He has to leave the doors of his house open so that anyone could see what he is doing!

The essay has taken different forms in England. Sir Thomas Browne wrote his essays using long-winding sentences. Adison's essays were humorous although they dealt with life and its problems. Charles Lamb's romantic essays were about common experiences. De Quincey came out with nuggets of his autobiography, but they had a touch of magic.

The tradition developed by all the essayists is that there was a personal impression in their essays. The essays were readable because they worked on the principle of wonder, making every attempt to arrest the reader's attention. No doubt, the essays had their own share of beauty and a sense of proportion.

In the final analysis, the essayist must be a keen spectator of life.

He must be like the man in Browning's fine poem entitled 'How it strikes a contemporary.'

"He stood and watched the cobbler at his trade,

The man who slices lemons into drink,

The coffee-roaster's brazier and the boys

That volunteer to help him turn its winch

He glanced o'er books on stalls with half an eye,

And fly-leaf ballads on the vendor's string.

And broad-edge bold print posters by the wall.

He took such cognizance of men and things,

If any beat a horse, you felt he saw;

If any cursed a woman, he took notes

Yet stared at nobody - you stared at him,

And found, less to your pleasure than surprise,

He seemed to know you and expect as much."

The ultimate test of an essay appears to be the reader's reaction. If the reader says, "Well, I have often thought of all these things, but I never thought that anybody should be concerned about what people think, not what they should think." While being aware of human weaknesses, the essayist should aim at idealism and passionate visions.

An essayist who can convince the reader that life is an elemental essence worth preserving is worth his weight in gold.