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VII. English Essays of the age
Introduction
The Age of reason ended with the death of Samuel Johnson. During
the 18th century, neo-Classicism had its deepest imprint on the charge of
the English language. Essayists like Joseph Addison, Jonathan Swift, and
Samuel Johnson attempted to formalize English, to give a dignity and
preciseness which the Latin language has. Johnson’s Dictionary was
intended to purify and standardize English. But this Latinizing movement led
to a negative effect: it put a temporary end to the spirit of variety and
experimentation which had contributed much to making English more vivid and
fresh. By the close of the 18th century essays in magazines were mainly weak
imitations of those in the style of The Tatler and The Spectator.
In 1802 the Edinburgh Review and then in1820 the London Magazine
started a new style of journalism. Essays of the great variety and
individual character flourished. These and many other magazines competed for
quality. They paid the writers decently so they could make a living by
publishing essays in the magazines. These magazines printed a great variety
of the articles on various subjects. They had essays on important books,
discussion of contemporary issues, as well as creative essays, criticism,
poems and stories. Under these new conditions, the familiar essay became
popular. The familiar essay was characterized by a more personal and
intimate tone. The essayist was no longer afraid to talk about himself. He
confessed his likes and dislikes, his opinions and the prejudices. He talked
freely about his mistakes and the failings, about the plans for the future.
Charles Lamb, William Hazilitt, and De Quincey, the three greatest essayists
of the age, were famous practitioners of the form. They all lived in the
Romantic age. Though poetry was the major medium for Romanticists, the
Romantic spirit also affected the style of prose. The scholarly style of the
Classicists was less favored. The subjects of their essays extended beyond
the concerns of the leisure class. They covered more aspects of life.
Ordinary clerks, chimneysweepers, opium smokers, even murderers were
portrayed in the essays. Another interesting phenomenon is that these essays
experimented with their own styles. The result was a notable variety of the
achievements in the 19th century prose.
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