O "ESEJIMA" I O ESEJU
ON "ESSAYS" AND THE ESSAY

Summary/Abstract: No discussion of the essay as a genre can avoid a reference to its creator,late Renaissance French writer Michel de Montaigne. His 1580 collection The Essays provided the archetypal patterns for this literary genre, which have – despite all the historical transformations of the essay – remained influential and relevant up until the present day. This article seeks to explore Montaigne’s approach to writing and writing practices which led him to the creation of a new literary genre. I argue that the form of the essay in Montaigne’s writing practically shaped itself, as a result of the author’s exceptional freedom of thought and research.The second part of the article reflects upon Montaigne’s influence and legacy in the centuries to follow in France, leading to the ultimate recognition and impressive rise of the essay genre in the 20th century, when it grew to become a crucial component of the intellectual life not only in France but also around the world.

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