An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument b

ut the definition is vague, overlapping with those of an article, a pamphlet, an

d a short story. Essays have traditionally been sub-classified as formal and inf
ormal. Formal essays are characterized by "serious purpose, dignity, logical org
anization, length," whereas the informal essay is characterized by "the personal
element (self-revelation, individual tastes and experiences, confidential manne
r), humor, graceful style, rambling structure, unconventionality or novelty of t
heme," etc.[1]
Essays are commonly used as literary criticism, political manifestos, learned ar
guments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the autho
r. Almost all modern essays are written in prose, but works in verse have been d
ubbed essays (e.g., Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism and An Essay on Man).
While brevity usually defines an essay, voluminous works like John Locke's An E
ssay Concerning Human Understanding and Thomas Malthus's An Essay on the Princip
le of Population are counterexamples. In some countries (e.g., the United States
and Canada), essays have become a major part of formal education. Secondary stu
dents are taught structured essay formats to improve their writing skills; admis
sion essays are often used by universities in selecting applicants, and in the h
umanities and social sciences essays are often used as a way of assessing the pe
rformance of students during final exams.
The concept of an "essay" has been extended to other mediums beyond writing. A f
ilm essay is a movie that often incorporates documentary film making styles, and
focuses more on the evolution of a theme or idea. A photographic essay covers a
topic with a linked series of photographs that may have accompanying text or ca
ptions.
Definitions
History
As an educational tool
Forms and styles
Magazine or newspaper
Employment
Non-literary types
See also
References

Edit

^ Holman, William (2003). A Handbook to Literature (9 ed.). New Jersey: Prentice

Hall. p. 193.
^ Gale Free Resources Glossary DE. Gale.cengage.com. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
^ Aldous Huxley, Collected Essays, "Preface".
^ "Book Use Book Theory: 15001700: Commonplace Thinking". Lib.uchicago.edu. Retri
eved 2013-08-10.
^ a b essay (literature) Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Britannica.com. Retriev
ed March 22, 2011.
^ Chapter 7: Cause and Effect in Glenn, Cheryl. Making Sense: A Real World Rheto
rical Reader. Ed. Denise B. Wydra, et al. Second ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Mar
tin's, 2005.
^ Chapter 5: Classification and Division in Glenn, Cheryl. Making Sense: A Real
World Rhetorical Reader. Ed. Denise B. Wydra, et al. Second ed. Boston, MA: Bedf
ord/St. Martin's, 2005.

^ Chapter 6: Comparison and Contrast in Glenn, Cheryl. Making Sense: A Real Worl
d Rhetorical Reader. Ed. Denise B. Wydra, et al. Second ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/
St. Martin's, 2005.
^ Chapter 2: Description in Glenn, Cheryl. Making Sense: A Real World Rhetorical
Reader. Ed. Denise B. Wydra, et al. Second ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's
, 2005.
^ Section 2.1 of the Simon Fraser University CNS Essay Handbook. Available onlin
e at: sfu.ca
^ "How to Write an Ethics Paper (with Pictures) - wikiHow". Retrieved 2016-07-01
.
^ Chapter 4: Exemplification in Glenn, Cheryl. Making Sense: A Real World Rhetor
ical Reader. Ed. Denise B. Wydra, et al. Second ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Mart
in's, 2005.
^ Fadiman, Anne. At Large and At Small: Familiar Essays. p. x.
^ Fadiman, At Large and At Small, xi.
^ History Essay Format & Thesis Statement, (February 2010)
^ Chapter 3 Narration in Glenn, Cheryl. Making Sense: A Real World Rhetorical Re
ader. Ed. Denise B. Wydra, et al. Second ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2
005.
^ "'Mission Possible' by Dr. Mario Petrucci" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-10-25.
^ a b Cinematic Essay Film Genre. chicagomediaworks.com. Retrie