AP Lang - History of the Essay
Jonathan Swift
british author of Gulliver's travels, wrote the most famous literary satire - "A Modest Proposal"
E.B. White
children's books, charolettes web, stuart little, "once more to the lake" (most famous essay), common reader
william hazlitt
felt essays should have "gusto" (feeling & passion), stressed the importance of feeling in writing, wrote "on the pleasure of hating"
Montaigne
french essayist, father of the modern essay, named it "essais" meaning attempts, personal tone, reveals himself, his mind in the act of thinking, copied Seneca's style of writing, 16th century
gretel ehrlich
writes about cowboys and life in the west
scott momaday
writes about native American tradition, grandma's point of view, "the way to rainy mt."
ralph waldo emerson
writing focused on nature, essays came from public lectures, aphoristic style, "hitch your wagon to a star" "trust thyself" "give all to love"
fredrick douglass
wrote about his struggle for literacy as a black slave "learning to read & write" is his famous essay about his master's wife teaching him english
zoera neale hurston
wrote about pride in being black and a woman, her famous book is "their eyes were watching god", wrote essays about her childhood in florida
James Baldwin
wrote about race relations in america and his place in society as a black man, became an expatriate and lived in paris, "notes from native son" - his essay about his father
Thomas Paine
wrote political essays, "the crisis" was his periodical, famous for "common sense"
Sei Shonagon
Japanese court lady, wrote pillow books, writing was like journal entries
virginia woolf
made stream of consciousness style of writing popular, "death of the moth" (most famous essay), published essays in common reader
the 5 classics
"a modest proposal" by jonathan swift, "letter from birmingham jail" by MLK, "death of a moth" by virginia wolfe, "shooting an elephant" by george orwell, "once more to the lake" by E.B. White
richard rodriquez
"heading into darkness" - heroism and its effect on people's lives, writes about california and being billingual
tom wolfe
"one life" - culture in the 60s, "the right stuff" - astronauts, "the electric kool-aid acid test"
Plutarch
46-120 from Greece, "Parallel Lives," influenced biographies, "Moralia" essays
langston hughes
African American poet who described the rich culture of african American life using rhythms influenced by jazz music. He wrote of African American hope and defiance, as well as the culture of Harlem and also had a major impact on the Harlem Renaissance.
Seneca
Roman writer, orator, philosopher, and dramatist. common topics. "noise" & "asthma"
Amy Tan
american writer who wrote about her chinese heritage
george orwell
animal farm, shooting the elephant (most famous essay), wrote about imperialism
samuel johnson
english essayist, famous for his satirical tone, published in his periodical: "The Rambler", "Idler", and "Adventurer"
Frances Bacon
english statesman, scientist & essayist, father of the english essay, essays were short, more impersonal than Montaigne, advice on how to live, Renaissance
Charles Lamb
essays of elia, lifelong bachelor, "a bachelor's complaint", essays were playful, passionate, highly opinionated
James Thurber
humorist, drew satirical cartoons, famous for short story "the secret life of walter mitty", "my life and hard times" is his autobiography, "is sex necessary: a spoof
reading essays involve
observing, connecting, informing, concluding, questioning
ben franklin
poor richard's almanac, famous for his aphorisms (fish & visitors stink after 3 days)
Kenko
post & buddhist monk, brief fragmented essays, wrote in stream of consciousness style
maxine hong kingston
power and place of gender in traditional china, "no name woman"
martin luther king jr.
racial prejudice and injustice, "letter from birmingham jail"
Joan Didion
social issues in the 60s, "marrying absurd" - wedding chapels in vegas
Henry David Thoreau
student of emerson, wrote about nature, most famous essay was "on the duty of civil obedience", "walden" was his book of essays, drummer quote
Addison & Steele
teamed together to publish in periodicals: "The Tatler & the Spectator", these came out as often as three times a week