What is Essay Writing? What are the types of Essay Writing?

The term essay has been derived from the Latin word ' exigre ' and the French word ' essai '. These terms mean an attempt, a trial or an experiment.

Essays are a sincere and committed attempt to describe a subject clearly and in an interesting way so that the reader enjoys it.

They may not be exhaustive in nature but they certainly put forward the personal point of view of the essayist from a particular angle. It would be worth be worth while to have knowledge about various definitions of an essay by famous essayists.

DEFINITIONS

Dr. Johnson defines essay as "a loose sally of mind, an irregular, indigested piece, not a regular and orderly performance".

George Saintsbury calls essay "a work of prose art, the after dinner monologue of an interesting and well-informed man".

Dr. Middleton Murry puts essay as "a composition of moderate length on any particular subject, originally implying want to finish, but now of a composition more or less elaborate in style, though a limited range".

J. B. Priestly defines it as "a genuine expression of an original personality, an artful and enduring kind of talk".

W. H. Hudson says that "the true essay is essentially personal. It belongs to the literature of self-expression".

According to William Hazlitt, "The essayist is committed to himself. He works not through narrative and character, but by observing and recording his emotions".

TYPES OF ESSAYS

Essays can broadly be categorised in five different types. They can be Descriptive, Narrative, Reflective or Expository, Imaginative and Argumentative.

Other than these types we can have historical, humorous, critical, literally, biographical and autobiographical essays also.

The essay has a simple structure. It starts with the Introduction or Beginning in which the topic is defined or stated. Then comes the Middle or the Main Body of the essay in which we describe or narrate the main topic of the essay in an ordered, logical and chronological way.

The body can be divided into separate paragraphs depending on the subject or thought content of the essay. The last part of the structure of an essay is the Conclusion or End in which the writer gives a solution to the problem stated in the introduction. He consolidates his view point already explained and discussed in the main body of the essay.

How to attempt an Essay?

1. Define the aim and scope of the essay.
2. Start thinking about the topic of the essay and note down the ideas as they come to your mind. If necessary create a space for rough work in your sheet.
3. Prepare the outlines by arranging the ideas point - wise.
4. Now start writing from the Introduction. You can simply state the topic along with a short explanation. You can begin with a relevant quotation or an eye catching phrase. You can also begin the essay with a personal touch.
5. Start developing your ideas clearly in the main body of your essay. You can take hint from the outlines which you have already prepared.
6. In the conclusion of the essay, you should state your ideas clearly, firmly and without any confusion. The conclusion should give an impression that you have ended the essay with an authentic note.
7. If time permits, revise your essay. This would enable you to weed out unwanted and careless mistakes.
8. It is advisable to use simple and familiar vocabulary. Avoid using high sounding and ambiguous words. Slangs should strictly be avoided as they spoil the beauty of an essay.