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THE ART OF WRITING ESSAYWhat is an Essay?Literally the word essay is derived from French word Essai which means "an attempt". Infact, essay writing" is an attempt of writing ones ideas and opinions in a logical sequence.Terms 'composition' or 'article' are used as synonyms of essay. The Concise OxfordDictionary defines the word Essay as "a literary composition in prose on any subject”. Itis a written composition giving expression to one's own personal ideas or opinions onsome topic; but the term usually covers also any written composition, whether itexpresses personal opinion, or gives information on any given subject, or details of anarrative or description.Encarta Encyclopaedia defines Essay as "a literary composition devoted to the presentation of the writer's own ideas on a topic and generally addressing a particular aspect °t the subject. Often brief in scope and informal in style, the essay differs fromsuch formal expository forms as the thesis, dissertation, or treatise”.I350The Study of EducationRequirements of an Average StudentLet us begin with the assumption that an average student is not an accomplished essayist.His interest in the writing of an essay is only selfish one. He wants to get through theexamination by satisfying the whims of an examiner who has taken a -fancy to a fewsubjects. Therefore, to him, the writing of an essay is only an uninteresting occupation.This introduction attempts to tell you how this painful task can be made an enjoyable one.Most of the essays written by students suffer from:1) Lack of material;2) Lack of'observation;3) Poverty of thought;4) Lack of arrangement; Lack of Material; . 'What should I write' is the first question asked by every beginner. The answer is notfar to seek. No one is born into the world a ready-made essayist, furnished with all thematerial. On must gather facts scattered in books and periodicals; and must endeavour tostore one's mind with ideas either by reading or by observation. "Reading," said Bacon,"maketh a full man”. Reading may appear quite irksome in the beginning, but gradually it becomes an inspiring experience. Even the dullest book assumes a charm. Newspapers
 
and periodicals also yield ready information on a number of subjects. A careful reader of newspapersfmay find it easy to write on anything.Reading does not mean just, a cursory glance at a book. One must eat a book. Again, onemay use a notebook for storing references, brief summaries of important passages; exactquotations of striking lines of prose and poetry. These references will come handy to thestudent when he intends to write an essay.351The Study of EducationLack of ObservationReading of books is an exciting experience. It may enable one to know many usefulthings in the world. But reading is not everything. At the most books are only a"bloodless substitute" for life. One must learn to observe things. Those people who gothrough the world with their eyes shut make very poor writers. Similarly the student whodepends entirely upon books never imparts a colour of originality *o his writings. It may be quite possible to write an argumentative essay without the help of observation. It is notnecessary that one should go out in the world to observe things. Even the day-to-dayoccurrences and the things around us are enough to train our power of observation, if oneis observant, to him.'The meanest flower that blows can give.Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.Most of the essays set in the Intermediate examination are descriptive; for instance, look at the following list: ' 'a) Life in a Frontier village. b) The Charm of a City.c) My Visitors.d) My Visitors.e) My Neighbours./) A Railway Journey. Now these essays cannot be.properly handled unless one has learnt to observe things intheir "naked loveliness”. Poverty of Thought
 
Even some of our best students cannot think for themselves. Someone has put it veryaptly: "The only unexplored territory in the world is under your hat". This is true aboutmany of us. Our system of education is ironbound. It offers fewer opportunities for original thinking. But with all these difficulties something can be352The Study of Educationdone to arouse the interest and curiosity of the student. [Joys should learn to look askanceat views that are taken for granted; gradually they will have their own opinions aboutthings. This is the surest way to think for oneself. Lack for ArrangementThe essay grows like a well-planned building in which every-part contributes to thewhole. It has a unity of design. This unity is secured by limiting the essay to one subjectonly. All such matter as has not bearing upon the main theme is excluded from the essay.There are no digressions. Even if there is any, it should be apt and interesting, short andclearly marked as a digression. Most of our young essayists devote too much of space tounimportant details which should otherwise be kept out of the essay. This gives one animpression of incoherence. Some students put all kinds of ideas together without anyarrangement. A good essayist would always see that his ideas succeed one another in alogical order "revealing his powers of clear thinking and proper arrangement”.After ideas have been arranged logically, we should think of the proportion in various parts of the essay. The essay should be divided in such a manner that each point receivesits due share of emphasis. The space devoted to the development of any idea should be inexact proportion to the importance of that idea in relation to other -ideas in the essay.Descriptive essays suffer most in the matter of proportion. Boys generally devote two pages to the introduction and just a page or so, to be places or things actually described.The whole essay gives one the impression of a monster whose head is bigger than his body. Now. when we have discussed all the important features of the essay, we can have aworkable definition of this peculiar form of literary expression.353The Study of EducationAn Essay is a prose composition which has all the qualities of unity, proportion andcoherence. HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY?We have told you something about the structure of the essay. Now, let us give you some practical hints on the writing of the essay. When a subject is proposed, be sure, first of all,that you understand exactly what you are to write about, write about that nor aboutsomething else. Arrange all the ideas in you mind or on paper. Now think of a suitable beginning. How to begin
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