Study Tips/Inspirational: Studying An Essay

Studying An Essay Or Essays

More than one essay is usually given for detailed study although on occasion long essays like Milton's "Areopagitica" are given as set books. Oliver Goldsmith's essays and the essays of Francis Bacon are favourites in this section.

It is hoped that you will have some knowledge of the essay technique before considering the essays of others. The plan of action is as before and you should read and re-read the essays. If the style is laborious, like Milton's prose, read slowly and try to grasp the general purport of the subject matter. If there are a number of essays to be studied it is a good idea to read through them quickly for the first time.

Now is the time for re-reading and making of your own notes. As a number of essays are usually given, we shall deal with how these should be tackled. An essay normally falls into three parts - introduction, body of essay and conclusion. These three parts could be embodied into your notes. Essays falling outside this pattern should receive special attention. One page of notes for every essay is generally adequate, leaving several blank pages for your own further work. As the essays are read for the second time useful phrases and sentences should be underlined, figures of speech, allusions and any interesting anecdotes noted.

In the summary of each essay include the following:-

Title of the essay.

Main points.

If the points are illustrated show how.

Any unusual allusions, figures of speech, or difficult words.

The main theme of the essay. The conclusion reached.

You should now work on the essays in detail and add to your notes as you proceed. During this stage use the glossary at the back of the book (if any) and have a dictionary available to look up difficult words. In your reading consider the following.

Whether the essays are reflective, argumentative, narrative or descriptive. It is a good idea to divide them into sections under these headings.
If some essays are narrative consider how the essayist has developed the stories.
What do you consider are the best essays and why? Be able to give reasons for your answers.
Be able to comment on the essayist's views on serious subjects - e.g., death, love, life, wisdom, hate, courage, wickedness.
Is there humour in the essays? Select what you consider to be the best ten examples.
Is there any indication the essayist has particular pet theory or pet subject? If he is an expert on a particular subject be able to discuss this expertise.
Be able to discuss the style of the essays. Such things to watch in this connection are :-
(a) sentence length,

(b) imagery,

(c) ambiguity,

(d) use of rhetorical question,

(e) accuracy,

(f ) simplicity,

(g) economy of words,

(h) clarity,

(i ) use of circumlocution,

(j ) repetition,

(k) particular characteristics or mannerisms.
What can you find out about the author himself from his essays? Try to draw up a lists of his likes and dislikes from his work.
Consider how the essayist handles dialogue. Could this be improved upon? Does the essayist use colloquialisms and regional dialects? If so, consider if he handles them well.
If you have the time compare the essays of the set-book with those written by his contemporaries and see what differences exist.
If there are any anecdotes which include:
(a) particularly colourful personalities,

(b) well known statesmen, or

(c) renowned literary figures,

try and remember them. They may be the subject of questions in the examination.
Decide whether there are any strange theories evolved in the essays. Are there any macabre events? Be able to outline some of these.
Writers are rarely skilled in all types of work. Consider which sort of writing the essayist does best. Be able to say why he is good at this.

It is important that you get to know the essays well. Frequent re-reading of your notes and the actual essays is essential for this. It is also wise to learn a number of quotations from the essays set and these can be introduced judiciously in the examination room.