Historical Development Of Essay

Abstract

Professor Hugh Walker in the Introduction to his famous book “ The
English Essays and Essayists” (1934)1 mentions two notions about the definition of an Essay,
(a) a composition comparatively short and (b) something incomplete and unsystematic. The
second notion was Johnson’s conception who was himself an essayist of no mean a stature.
He defined essay as a loose sally of the mind, an irregular undigested piece, not a regular and
orderly performance2. He was guided by the essays of his times. These notions, continued for
many many years, even today after nearly two hundred years from Johnson’s times (1709-
1734), they hold the floor which is very clear from the definition given in “The Oxford
English Dictionary” which runs thus “ A composition of moderate length on any particular
subject or branch of a subject; originally implying want of finish, an irregular, indigested
piece but now said of a composition more or less elaborate in style though limited in range”.