The Art of Essay Writing
”I had learned, too, that the first requisite of good writing is to have anearnest and definite purpose, whether aesthetic or moral, and that even goodwriting, to please long, must have more than an average amount either of imagination or common sense.” - Russell Lowell in
Biglow Papers
1. There are people who have a talent for writing, just as there are peoplewho are born with a gift for music or painting. It is fortunate that we are notall moulded after one pattern, otherwise life would be very monotonous. Wesometimes read of men who, at an early age, produced verse, or prose, thatis now considered classic. There are others who seem to have no innateability to write at all. They say: ”We simply cannot do it; we do not know howto start, or how to arrange our thoughts.” So far as people who have no earfor music are concerned, it would be a waste of time and money, as well as asource of continual irritation to themselves, and to others, for them to try to
learn
music. But essay-writing is an entirely different matter, for it is a naturalthing that people should express their thoughts in words; therefore, fromCaedmon downwards, many who have imagined that they had no literaryability have come to realise that, with practice it is possible to achieve areasonable facility in composition. Pope says: - True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,As those move easiest who have learned to dance. There is more than a grain of truth in this couplet. Even thedullest person can improve under the care and skill of a competentteacher of English composition.2. In all probability most of the unfortunate people who read this chapter willhave- before them the nightmare of some future examination that it isnecessary that they should take, and that involves the writing piece of English prose. They will do well to follow our ’remarks heedfully, and torecollect that a habit of reading good literature is most essential. Althoughthis remark is repeated elsewhere, it is so • important that we take thisopportunity of emphasising the point.3. To begin with, we urge every student to cultivate good handwriting, andto learn how to spell correctly all words of ordinary occurrence. Badhandwriting and incorrect spelling responsible for the failure of very manycandidates at English examinations. Remember that the only impression theexaminer
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