The founder of the English Essay (Light Essay): 'Francis Bacon' - Research and Criticism

Abstract

This paper explores the development of Essay from infancy to maturity. As usual, it started in French with the writings of Montaign. Montaign’s influence was very strong on Francis Bacon who developed it and fit medium for his pragmatic philosophy on range of topics concerning human existence. His Essays are full of worthy wisdom and writthen in terse English. He also brought his scientific understandings in to its main theme thereby making Essays a genere of the sort to be reckoned with. This is significant as, subsequent writers made it at apt vehicle/medium of expression in prose. This study is significant as it not only traces its development but also critique the ways Bacon popularized and brought Essays to the zenith of the standard. The study concludes that this development of Essay in the hands of Bacon was instrumental in not only enlarging the scope of the genre but also encouraged many to test their muscles in prose rather than in verses.