Essays are usually classified according to content and style. Under the heading of content, essays may be classified as either informational or personal. (We will not elaborate on this part.) I. Informational essays The informational or expository essay is written to provide information or to give instruction. The tone of an informational essay is generally serious. II. Personal essays Personal essays are entertaining and written on any subject that meets the authors need. The subject is often less important than mood and attitude. Under the heading of style, essays may be classified as either formal essays or informal (familiar). I. Formal essays Basic elements of a successful formal essay: A strong thesis statement with logical supporting points. Body paragraphs that discuss the supporting points in the order they are mentioned in the thesis statement. Good transitions between paragraphs. A conclusion which summarizes what has been said in the body of the paper. Appropriate diction and tone

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2. Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533 – 1592)
was one of the most significant philosophers of
the French Renaissance, known as the creator
of personal essays as a literary genre. He
merged autobiography with serious intellectual
insight. His massive volume Essais (translated
literally as "Attempts" or "Trials") contains
some of the most influential essays ever
written. Montaigne had a direct influence on
writers all over the world. He said ‘I am the
subject of my essays’.[Wikipedia]
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Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

3. The term ‘Essay’ means an attempt. It was first written by Montaigne, the
French scholar in the 16th century to express his personal feelings.
An essay is a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject,
usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.
It may also be defined as a short work of nonfiction, often artfully
disordered and highly polished, in which an authorial voice invites an
implied reader to accept as authentic a certain textual mode of experience.
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4. Aldous Huxley described the essay as "One damned thing after
another“, "a literary device for saying almost everything about almost
anything."
To Francis Bacon an essay was "dispersed meditations” while
Samuel Johnson called it nothing but “a loose sally of the mind“.
And again, to Edward Hoagland it was simply a "greased pig."
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5. Sir Francis Bacon(1561 – 1626)
Frances Bacon's aim as an essayist was to share the
wisdom of his life. The original number of essays in
Bacon's Essays (1597) was ten and included titles like
"of Studies," "Of Discourse" "Of Suitors," "Of
Expense." By the year 1612, there were thirty-eight
essays. As Bacon's life progressed, through politics,
philosophy, science, bribes and imprisonment, he
shared his wisdom, so his development as an
individual is evident in tone and content and, sadly,
unlike in classic fiction, his development as a man left
him sadder. His style of essay writing is not dogmatic
nor didactic but rather personable and friendly. He is
acclaimed as the wisest, the brightest and the meanest
of human beings.
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6. Essays are usually classified according to content and style.
Under the heading of content, essays may be classified as either informational or personal.
I. Informational essays
The informational or expository essay is written to provide information or to give instruction. The tone
of an informational essay is generally serious.
II. Personal essays
Personal essays are entertaining and written on any subject that meets the authors need. The subject is
often less important than mood and attitude.
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7. Under the heading of style, essays may be classified as either formal essays or informal
(familiar).
I. Formal essays
Basic elements of a successful formal essay:
A strong thesis statement with logical supporting points.
Body paragraphs that discuss the supporting points in the order they are mentioned in the
thesis statement.
Good transitions between paragraphs.
A conclusion which summarizes what has been said in the body of the paper.
Appropriate diction and tone
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8. Structure:
Thesis Statement
This is a depictive, relatively short statement rendering the main idea of your essay paper which
you will defend in the course of your work It should consist of points establishing the subject and
purpose of your paper;. They should also support the main idea of the text.
Body Paragraphs
Body paragraphs should contain a detailed discussion of the supporting statements mentioned
in the thesis statement. Note that this discussion should go exactly in the same order the
supporting statements were presented in the thesis statement.
Conclusion
This is a short summary of the main ideas of the paper producing the most persuasive effect on
the reader.
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10. Features:
The language is formal and often bookish. There is no personal or anecdotal information. They generally
are expository in nature and as a result do not contain slang, colloquial or familiar language. The formal
essay is generally longer than the informal essay.
Examples of Formal Essays:
The Essays, by Francis Bacon
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11. II. Informal or (familiar) essays
Definition: A Familiar Essay is a short Prose Composition (a type of creative Nonfiction ) Characterized by the
quality of the Personal Writing and the Distinctive voice or Persona of the essayist.
Features:
These types of essays are friendly or chatty. The standard of English used is correct but slang or colloquialisms are
used. Personal experience is drawn upon and personal pronouns are used ie. I you he ... This type of essay is
generally fairly short.
Examples of Familiar Essays:
New Year's Eve, by Charles Lamb
An Apology for Idlers, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Going Out ​​for a Walk, by Max Beerbohm
Crooked Streets, by Hilaire Belloc
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12. The familiar essay reached its zenith with Charles Lamb. Though living a melancholy and often
tragic life, Lamb created in his essays a narrator "in love with this green earth", one who hid
wisdom under playfulness. His Essays of Elia includes autobiographical pieces such as "A Chapter
on Ears" and "Imperfect Sympathies", and humorous or farcical ones such as "A Dissertation upon
Roast Pig" and "Mrs. Battle's Opinions on Whist."
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13. It is useful to see the similarities between informal and formal essays, so we summarize it for you to
have a clear understanding. (As shown in the comparison chart below).
Characteristic Informal (Familiar) Essay Formal Essay
Author's Viewpoint Usually uses first person;
Directly addresses the reader
Usually uses third-person
pronoun
Subject / Content:
Sources of Evidence
Frequently drawn from life of the
writer and everyday events
More commonly drawn from shared
historical events or literature or other
forms of knowledge
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14. Tone Frequently more personal and
subjective; may be ironic, amusing,
thoughtful, angry, or serious;
Conversational and casual
Tends to be removed from the subject
and appears to be objective; tends to
hold emotions in check and express
concerns through strong arguments and
powerful rhetorical devices; Academic
and often instructional
Structure Appears to be more loosely
structured
Follow a fairly rigid structure that
focuses on the development of one clear
argument at a time to
support a clearly stated thesis
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15. Location of Thesis May appear anywhere in the essay;
may not be explicitly stated
Usually stated explicitly, generally
located in the first or second paragraph
of the essay
Vocabulary Everyday words; Slang and
colloquialisms; Contractions;Uses
"you" and "I"
Technical words according to subject;
No slang or contractions; Avoids "you"
and "I"
Purpose Entertainment; gentle reflection Provokes thought and sometimes action
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16. Charles Lamb (1775 –1834) is out and out a familiar
essayist. He best known for his Essays of Elia and for
the children's book Tales from Shakespeare, which
he produced with his sister, Mary Lamb(1764–
1847).
He also wrote a number of poems, and was part of
a literary circle in England, along with S.T.Coleridge
and William Wordsworth. He has been referred to
by E.V.Lucas, his principal biographer", as "the most
lovable figure in English literature”.
He is also called the prince of English Essayists.
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17. The following essays are included in the
collection ‘Essays of Elia’:
"The South-Sea House"
"Oxford In The Vacation"
"Christ's Hospital Five-And-Thirty Years Ago"
"The Two Races Of Men"
"New Year's Eve"
"Mrs Battle's Opinions On Whist"
"A Chapter On Ears"
"All Fools' Day"
"A Quakers' Meeting"
"The Old and The New Schoolmaster"
"Valentine's Day"
"Imperfect Sympathies"
"Witches And Other Night-Fears"
"My Relations"
"Mackery End, In Hertfordshire"
"Modern Gallantry"
"The Old Benchers Of The Inner Temple"
"Grace Before Meat"
"My First Play"
"Dream-Children; A Reverie"
"Distant Correspondents"
"The Praise Of Chimney-Sweepers"
"A Complaint Of The Decay Of Beggars In The
Metropolis"
"A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig"
"A Bachelor's Complaint Of the Behaviour Of
Married People"
"On Some Of The Old Actors"
"On The Artificial Comedy Of The Last Century"
"On The Acting Of Munden".
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18. William Hazlitt,(1778—1830) is an English
writer best known for his humanistic essays. His
writing is noted for the brilliant intellect it
reveals. He is a familiar essayist of the English
Romantic age. His well known collection of
essays are Table Talk (1821) and The Plain
Speaker (1826).
Hazlitt’s Complete Works, in 13 volumes,
appeared in 1902–06, to be reissued, edited by
P.P. Howe, in 21 volumes in 1930–34.
Political Essays, The Plain Speaker, Characters
of Shakespeare's Plays, A View of the English
Stage, The Round Table, Table Talk, Walking
tours are his most celebrated essays.
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