The Style of Discovery in 17th Century English Essays

FAIN: FR-10194-78

Michael L. Hall
Centenary College of Louisiana (Shreveport, LA 71104-3335)

Study will concentrate on the emergence of the English essay as a distinct prose genre during the later 16th and earlier 17th centuries following the publication of Montaigne's Essais in France. Particular attention will be directed to the idea of discovery as an informing principle of style among early English essayists. The main focus of the reading and research will be central figures such as Francis Bacon, John Donne, and Ben Jonson as well as to other early essayists such as Sir William Cornwallis, Robert Johnson, and Daniel Tuvill.