Explanation of the Genre
What do the authors of essays have to say? According to them, an essay is:
Essay Lost. (2011, May 12). Short history of the essay. Retrieved from http://essaylost.com/short-history-of-essay/. Mackenzie, J. (2007). Essay writing: Teaching the basics from the ground up. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers Limited. Nordquist, R. What is an essay? Retrieved from http://grammar.about.com/od/qaabout rhetoric/f/faqwhatisessay.htm. |
Essay Writing:
So Much More Than a Hamburger |
Historical Context
The recognition of the essay as a genre began in 1580 with the publication of French author Michel de Montaigne’s book “Les Essais.” Essais in French means to “try” or “experience” (Essay Lost, 2011; Graham, 2004), signifying that an essay is a reflection on the experiences of the author. More than thirty years later in 1612, Francis Bacon introduced the art of essay writing to the English-speaking world through his philosophical experiments (referred to then as essayes). Even later, in 1860, Hermann Grimm brought the genre over to Germany (under the title der essay). Meanwhile in the U.S., essay writing really became widespread throughout 18th century (Essay Lost, 2011), although the 20th century brought the “golden age” of the essay, during which time the mode was used by many popular writers and philosophers in the field of journalism (Essay Lost, 2011). A little later on, American universities picked up the idea from German colleges that professors should be both teachers and researchers in their given field. The format of the essay was then codified in academic spheres for the purpose of writing about and reporting on academic research (Graham, 2004).
So when did the essay’s popular use in grade schools come in? In 1892, the National Education Association “formally recommended that literature and composition be unified in the high school course,” following the tradition that college professors and students should report on their research through writing. The format of the essay was then handed down to high school curricula, where it was modified, made compact, and streamlined to more easily facilitate the process. However, some major components of “real” essay writing were lost, like pre-writing, questioning, and the flexibility of the form (Graham, 2004). What we have today is the further codification of the format of the essay into three major types: persuasive, narrative, and expository or informational.
Graham, P. (2004, September). The age of the essay. Retrieved from http://www.paulgraham.com/essay.html.
So when did the essay’s popular use in grade schools come in? In 1892, the National Education Association “formally recommended that literature and composition be unified in the high school course,” following the tradition that college professors and students should report on their research through writing. The format of the essay was then handed down to high school curricula, where it was modified, made compact, and streamlined to more easily facilitate the process. However, some major components of “real” essay writing were lost, like pre-writing, questioning, and the flexibility of the form (Graham, 2004). What we have today is the further codification of the format of the essay into three major types: persuasive, narrative, and expository or informational.
Graham, P. (2004, September). The age of the essay. Retrieved from http://www.paulgraham.com/essay.html.