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| Samuel Coleridge |
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| William Hazlitt |
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| Thomas Carlyle |
At the
beginning of the nineteenth century the periodical essay gave place to critical
essay. It had little concern with social and personal topics, its main content,
being literary and other critical matters. The best known of these reviews are
“Edinburgh” and ‘Quarterly”. In journals like “Blackwood’s magazine”, “London
magazine” and “Fraser’s magazine” miscellaneous types of essays (creative,
critical, entertaining and informative) were contributed by eminent essayists
like Hazlitt, De Quincy, Coleridge, Thackeray and Carlyle.
William Hazlitt (1778-1830) influenced by
concise social commentary of Addison’s “spectator” and personal tone of
Montaigne became a celebrated writer of familiar essays using conversational
diction and personal tone. Often beginning with an aphorism, his essays are
characterised by informal diction and emotional tone. He contributed essays to
Leigh Hunts” Examiner” and worked as a columnist for “Edinburgh review”. His
personal essays collected in volumes of “The Round Table” Table-Talk” and “The
Plain speaker” are his finest works. He wrote critical essays in volumes like
“Shakespeare’s characters” (1817), “Lectures on English Poets” (1812), “A view
of the English Stage” (1818), “The spirit of the age” (1825) and “The Biography
of Napoleon Bonaparte” (1826-1830).
Leigh Hunt(1784-1859) wrote hundreds of essays but he was first and foremost a journalist and deliberately chose such topics that would appeal to the man in the street. He wrote essays in a conversational manner reminiscent of fireside talk.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) is one of the eminent critics who applied principles of philosophy and psychology to literary criticism. He introduced the concept of the organic theory of art and the superiority of imagination over reason and fancy. His book “Biographia Literaria” is a collection of thoughts dealing with the philosophy of Kant, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, and Schelling. This book also contains Coleridge’s distinction between Imagination and fancy and the famous critical concept of the “willing suspension of disbelief.” The later chapters of the book deal with the nature of poetry and on the quality of Wordsworth’s poetry. He used plain and simple language with a conversational tone. Coleridge was influenced by German Romantic writers like Schiller and philosophers like Immanuel Kant. His famous prose works are: Lectures on Politics and religion (1795), Lay Sermons (1816) and “Lectures and Notes on Shakespeare and Other English Poets” (1811-1812) and “The table talk” (1836) and “The Constitution of the Church and State (1839).
Thomas Carlyle(1795-1881) was a prolific writer who used a strong passionate style with unusual syntax, coinages, and rhetoric. He was also influenced by German writers like Goethe, Schiller and Kant. His famous works are: Sartor Resartus (1836), critical and miscellaneous essays (1838), “On heroes, hero-worship and the heroic’ (1841), “Past and the Present”(1843), Frederick, the great(1865) in four volumes and “reminiscences (1881). He emphasised the cult of a great man as a national moral leader. Carlyle became famous for his three-volume magnum opus “French revolution” published in 1837. When his friend John Stuart Mill accidentally burnt his first work in 1834, Carlyle re-wrote this book with the help of notes he had with him. In this book he described the historic struggle of French revolution that happened between 1774 and 1795. The three volumes were titled as “The Bastille”, “The Constitution” and “The Guillotine” respectively. Charles Dickens inspired by this book wrote his famous historical novel “A Tale of Two Cities” in 1859. Carlyle’s style seems idiosyncratic with peculiar features like Germanized compounds, new coinages, frequent use of italics and ellipsis, use of many allusions, frequent use of inversions and oratorical style. But his knowledge was very wide covering many subjects like mathematics, science, philosophy and economics. Readers will appreciate his passionate style, depth of knowledge and his sarcastic tone.
Charles Lamb (1775-1834) often called “the prince of essayists” published most of his essays under the pseudonym “Elia” in “London magazine” and later brought them out in book form as “essays of Elia” in 1823 and as ‘last essays of Elia” in 1833. Charles Lamb published “Tales from Shakespeare” in 1807 in collaboration with his sister, Mary Lamb. In 1808 he published “Specimens of English drama who lived about the time of Shakespeare” which show his critical observations. Charles Lamb was influenced by Elizabethan dramatists and Elizabethan writers like Thomas Browne, Richard Burton and Thomas Fuller. His style shows typical Elizabethan characteristics like Latinate diction, archaic and obsolete words, allusions and quotations from various classical writers. So, his style seems quaint and old-fashioned. But his friendly and genial attitude, variety in theme and poetic descriptions mixed with humour, gentle wit and pathos and a sense of nostalgia for the past lend a peculiar charm to his essays. Most of his essays deal with events and characters he came across in his own life. His keen observation and perceptiveness along with his verbal felicity made his essays popular and interesting. His essays like “The South-sea House’, “dream children”, “A dissertation upon a roast pig”, and “Old China” show his mastery of form and style. Charles lamb published “Tales from Shakespeare” in 1807 in collaboration with his sister, Mary Lamb.
John Ruskin (1819-1900) was a famous art critic, social thinker, painter, philosopher and social reformer. He had a wide knowledge about subjects like geology, architecture, literature and Botany. In his essays he revealed the connection between nature, art, environment and society. In his book” Modern painters” in five volumes (1843-1860) argued that modern painters in contrast to old masters are superior in the art of landscape. He defended the works of J.W.M. Turner which provide a profound insight into natural forces and atmospheric effects. He also emphasised on symbolism in art expressed through nature. In “Stones of Venice” published in three volumes between 1851 and 1853 was an overview of the history of architecture in Venice. He tried to show the intimate connection between art, architecture and morality. He tried to show art as an ethical teacher and moral yardstick of a civilised society. He argued that Gothic style though not so technically perfect as the renaissance style, its roughness conveyed emotion and reverence for God. Renaissance architecture is cold and emotionless created for man’s own glory while Gothic architects are created for the glory of God. In “Sesame and Lilies” published in 1865 Ruskin discusses the qualities of and duties of men and women in Victorian times. He said that women are moral guides to their families and hence they should be well-educated. “Unto this last” was published between August and December, 1860. He criticised the capitalist economists of the 18th and 19th centuries and the destructive effects of industrialism on natural world. Mahatma Gandhi was very much influenced by this book and translated it into Gujarati in 1908 under the title of “Sarvodaya.” He formulated many of his social and economic ideas based on Ruskin’s views. Ruskin used formal and literary style in “Modern painters” and a picturesque style in “Stones of Venice.” He was influenced by the poetic prose of 19th century writers like Charles Lamb, Thomas de Quincey and Sir Walter Scott. He also derived inspiration from the Bible and the blank verse of Wordsworth’s poetry. His perception, keen observation and emotional style along with his wide knowledge marks him as a unique writer.
Robert Louis
Stevenson (1850-1894) was a famous essayist, novelist, travel writer and short
story writer. He evolved his own style after experimenting with various types
of styles he observed in other great writers like Hazlitt, Lamb, Sir Thomas Browne,
Defoe, Hawthorne, Montaigne, Baudelaire and Oberman who lighted his ways of
composing essays and other writings. He studied with keen Interest the Bible
and the writings of Bunyan, Shakespeare, Scott, Whitman, Spenser, Meredith and
Dumas. The fifteenth century French
writers captivated his attention and he
wrote essays and short stories based on French themes such as “Victor Hugo’s
Romances”, “Providence and the Guitar” and “The Treasure of Franchard.” Stevenson
tried to express his thoughts with precision, sincerity, elegance and
simplicity with characteristic frankness. In his style we can see a perfect
accord between sense and sound with a masculine vigour. By his study of music he
found that the ideal of prose should be harmony and of poetry the melody. He
was impressed by the musical nature of Latin and used sonorous Latin words
appropriately. The handling of old words in new combinations, discerning use
of adjectives, apt similes and effective use of repetition are some of the
features of hi style. In his essays like “Technical elements of style in Literature”
and “Books which have influenced me” he voiced his opinions and views on style.
He was admired by great writers like marcel Proust, Arthur Conan Doyle, Louis
Borges and Bertolt Brecht. His travel stories influenced Joseph Conrad and
henry James. After his trip with Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott wrote his famous
novel “The Pirate” in
Stevenson’s famous books are “An Island Voyage” (1878), “travels with a donkey in Cavennes”(1879), “Treasure Island”(1883) and “Strange Case of Mr. Jekyll and Hyde”(1886) and of course a number of essays on various topics dealing with nature, authors, and experiences of the common world. Though he experimented with various styles, his creative imagination and his talent for perfect rhythm and harmonious combination of sounds made him a great prose writer of all times.
In modern times a number of journals, periodicals and daily newspapers afford an unlimited scope for the essay. Most of the modern essayists use racy, conversational style coupled with interesting and amusing characteristics of their own. The best of essayists follow the manner of lamb and are subjective in selection of topics and style. The modern essays provide a scrutinising and critical approach towards judging social, political and cultural values. It has an unlimited scope in selection of themes. The themes are as varied as life itself. The modern essayist tries his best to present his views in the simplest manner possible so that even a lay reader can understand him. The style is simple though dignifies. His language is the language of everyday speech. There is no attempt at deliberate ornamentation. Wit and gentle humour are the leading charms of the modern essay. Informal speech rhythms and decent slang terms are allowed. The eminent essayists of the modern period are : Robert Lynd, E.V.Lucas, A.G.Gardiner, G.K.Chesterton, Max Beerbohm, J.B.Priestley, Hillaire Belloc, Aldous Huxley, E.M.Forster, Bertrand Russell etc. of course there many other types of essays based on specific subjects like medicine, science, Engineering, Art, philosophy and other fields of knowledge.
Through immense varieties of the English essay there runs a moral purpose which is sometimes boldly revealed and sometimes hidden behind humour and irony. The English essay is a serious form of literature. It is generally intended to edify rather than to entertain, whether it deals with social behaviour, books, science, politics or any other purpose. But Lamb and Hazlitt wrote not to reform or instruct their public but to interest and amuse them. This informal manner continued till the present time although serious subjects have come to be written in essay form. Indeed the essay has become a popular and easy-to-handle flexible popular literary medium (flexible in theme, style, length, tone and texture) for all types of writers, journalists, reviewers and newspaper columnists. In modern age, short story and essay are the most popular literary forms which provide useful information and satisfy people’s interests, feelings and thoughts and aspirations.
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14th December, 2020 Somaseshu Gutala
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