It is difficult to determine which essays are the "best" of all time, as the concept of "best" is highly subjective and dependent on personal taste and preference. However, there are certainly a number of essays that have stood the test of time and have had a significant impact on literature, culture, and society.
One such essay is "Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau, published in 1849. In this essay, Thoreau argues that individuals have a moral duty to resist unjust laws and government actions. Thoreau's ideas were influential in the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 20th century, and his essay remains widely read and studied today.
Another highly influential essay is "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson, published in 1841. In this essay, Emerson advocates for individualism and self-reliance, arguing that individuals should trust in their own judgement and not be swayed by the opinions of others. This essay has had a lasting impact on American thought and culture, and is often cited as a cornerstone of American transcendentalism.
A more recent essay that has gained widespread acclaim is "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift, published in 1729. In this satirical essay, Swift proposes a solution to the problem of overpopulation and poverty in Ireland: eating the children of the poor. Though Swift's proposal is obviously absurd and meant to be humorous, it also serves as a commentary on the lack of empathy and care for the poor in society.
Another highly regarded essay is "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot, published in 1915. This poem, which is often studied as an essay, explores themes of isolation, loneliness, and the inability to connect with others. Eliot's use of imagery and symbolism in the poem has made it a literary classic and a staple of modernist literature.
Overall, the "best" essays are those that have had a lasting impact on literature, culture, and society, and that continue to be read and studied today. These essays often deal with timeless themes and ideas, and use language and form in innovative and powerful ways.
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My grandmother and I--we are conquistadors of the cafe scene, conquering the world one coffee shop at a time and, in the process, growing endlessly closer to each other and ourselves. I asked Coach Cotter if he would mind if I joined, and I can still hear him saying, "Absolutely, the more the merrier! When you read the essay, you will see how much research, thought and raw intellect came into it. Bias has been extended here to personal favorites and those available to read online. My parents purchased a special screen that could be mounted on the back of the headrest, so that I could watch movies on trips. Being one of the youngest medical responders ever certified in Connecticut, I have spent the majority of my adolescence running toward car crashes, flaming buildings, and into ditches while most sane people bolt in the opposite direction. From that first ride to the present day, my fascination with the inner and outer workings of the L and its passengers has refined itself to an infatuation. This essay uncovers some of the worst traits of modern American peoples.
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Although, try to keep the pants-ripping to minimum. You can consider it to be a meeting with a great philosopher who really shaped the ethos of the modern United States. Humane, incisive, and satisfyingly journalistic, Gates cobbles together the ultimate portrait of the 20th-century African-American male by refusing to cobble it together, and raises important questions about race and identity even as he entertains. I had never thought I was that good at anything, there was always someone better. In reality, people who have never failed will never learn the importance rising after we fall. And something interesting happened- I noticed my confidence begin to grow.
The 10 Best Essay Collections of the Decade ‹ Literary Hub
By reading this short essay you will learn a lot about Indian philosophy and its relation to its Western counterpart. Not a shiny new one, but one that has travelled far and experienced much. An encyclopedia of modern culture, the book collects 110 new biographical essays, which provide more than enough room for James to flex his formidable intellect and curiosity, as he wanders off on tangents, anecdotes, and cultural criticism. His wisdom lives within me. Instead, they always looked at it as a negative.
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It is one of the best essays that talk about writing in English. In order to remember, of course, but exactly what was it I wanted to remember? Anzaldúa, who was born in south Texas, had to struggle to find her true identity. However, all of our examples of personal essays serve a similar purpose and require a similar writing process. I like to think about Tagore as my spiritual Friend. Below our feet, swimming through the glacial crevasses, were ice worms: tiny, endemic invertebrates. But when my teacher set up the experiment with three classmates as subjects and the rest of us as confederates, two subjects did not conform; our ratio of nonconformity was lower than Asch had found.
