Essay

An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument; the exact definition is vague. Essays are commonly used as literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author.

Quotes

• The river's algorithm is simple. At each step, flow down. For the essayist this translates to: flow interesting. Of all the places to go next, choose the most interesting. One can't have quite as little foresight as a river. I always know generally what I want to write about. But not the specific conclusions I want to reach; from paragraph to paragraph I let the ideas take their course.
  • Paul Graham, The Age of the Essay (2004)

• A great deal of writing is not "plotted"—most of my essays have no plot structure, they are a ramble in the woods, or a ramble in the basement of my mind.
  • E. B. White, "Letter to Miss R, September 15, 1973". Letters of E. B. White (revised ed.). Harper & Row. 1989. p. 650. ISBN 006091517X.  (1st edition, 1976)