Describe, in your own words, the views of A. C. Benson on the Art of the Essayist.

Or

The charm of personality of the essayist is highly significant. Discuss it.

Or

In England, the essay had taken different forms. Discuss them in your own words.

Or

The essay has much in common with the art of the lyrical poet. Discuss it briefly.

Or

“The charm of the essay lies in its style.” Discuss it.

Or

The essayist is the real interpreter of life. Discuss it.

Ans.

Introduction

The writer of this essay A. C. Benson defines the essay as the frame of mind when a man expresses his personal intensions of his subject. Any subject will serve his purpose in order to express his ideas of personal nature. It may be called a composition to give delight to the readers. The writer describes that, “The essay, need not concern itself with anything definite; it need not have an intellectual or a philosophical or a religious or a humorous motif; but equally none of these subjects are ruled out. The only thing necessary is that the thing or the thought should be vividly apprehended, enjoyed, felt to be beautiful, and expressed with a certain gusto.”

The charm of the personality

It should be noted clearly that the charm of the essay is closely related to the charm of the personality of the essayist. It is a fact that Montaigne is regarded as the father of the essay. The readers find the charm of his essays in the charm of his personality with the great qualities of frankness, gusto and sharp observation. He also had real knowledge of men and manner. He was ashamed of writing nothing which interested him. The writer asserts that such frankness must always be the natural quality of a true essayist.

The true essayist, “wears his heart upon his sleeves.” He does not hide anything because he expresses his feelings clearly and adequately in his essays. It is different from the typical English temperament which is secretive. The house of an average English man is like a castle where strangers are not welcome, so they are not permitted to enter freely. On the other hand the essayist is like Lord Brougham who was always very eager to welcome his visitors into his house where he did not hide anything. He was fond of his private life but he also liked other people to enjoy it more and more.

The various forms of English essay

It is necessary to mention that in England the essay had various forms. Sir Thomas Browne had written his essays in rhetorical style. Joseph Addison had written his emotional essays related to serious scenes with fine relationship. Charles Lamb had written romantic essays from ordinary material of real life. D. E. Quincey had written autobiographical essays in musical tone. Walter Pater had written his essays in an artistic manner. These are the examples of the style in which the essay has been written in English literature but the gist is the same. Such an essay also had personal impression of the writer after seeing something beautiful or interesting.

The essay has much in common with the art of the lyrical poet

It should be noted that the essay has much in common with the art of the lyrical poet and the writer of sonnets but the essayist has the freedom of a prose writer. There is another important feature that the lyrical poem is treated with seriousness but the essay is written with the touch of humour. In this way the essayist is more a poet than an epic-writer. On the other hand the essayist is the true spectator of life, so he must be closely related to the pageant of life rather than with the purpose of life. He is busy with real things rather than with their ethical importance. He makes his readers interested in the reality of life without any moral teaching so that his readers may love their life in a better way. In this respect, the essayist is different from the historian. It should be noted that the readers do not go to the essayist for information or knowledge but they go to him for pleasure and amusement.

The charm of the essay is found in its style

It is necessary to mention that the charm of the essay is found in its style. He wishes that his readers should say. “Well, I have often thought of it, but not this way, and never got so far as to put these ideas into words. The essayist likes the differences between human beings. With this reason, the essayist is opposite of the romancer. The main purpose of the essayist is to give importance to local material and he faces the real conditions and he does not fly from them. The romancer is different from the essayist in this respect. The true essayist holds the balance between the two conditions.

The essayist is an interpreter of life

It is very necessary to mention that the essayist is an interpreter of life because he is not the critic of life because he does not criticise life for its weaknesses but he interprets life in a fine manner to maintain its interest. He does not like that his readers should lose their interest in their life. He is in favour of making use of imagination in daily life. They should admire the beauty of life in a significant manner. He also shows all such things related to human life in a clear and impressive manner with a feeling of joy. In short, the essayist may also be called a mini-poet dealing with simple and gentle material in the course of life.

• Discuss Rabindranath Tagore as a poet.

• Write the critical appreciation of the poem No. 12 entitled Far Below Flowed.

• Write the critical appreciation of the poem No. 11 entitled Leave this Chanting.