The Modern Essay by Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf's The Modern Essay is a collection of essays that explore the changing nature of the essay form in the early twentieth century. Woolf examines the history of the essay, its evolution, and its potential for the future. She looks at the essay as a form of self-expression, and how it can be used to explore the complexities of modern life. Woolf also examines the role of the essay in literature, and how it can be used to explore the human experience. The essays in this collection are both informative and entertaining, and provide an insightful look into the changing nature of the essay form.
By Virginia Woolf · First published 1917 · Genre: Literary Nonfiction, Feminist Literature, Philosophical Literature · 4,120 words
First lines
As Mr. Rhys truly says, it is unnecessary to go profoundly into the history and origin of the essay--whether it derives from Socrates or Siranney the Persian--since, like all living things, its present is more important than its past. Moreover, the family is widely spread; and while some of its representatives have risen in the world and wear their coronets with the best, others pick up a precarious living in the gutter near Fleet Street. The form, too, admits variety. The essay can be short or long, serious or trifling, about God and Spinoza, or about turtles and Cheapside. But as we turn over the pages of these five little volumes, [MODEM ENGLISH ESSAYS, edited by Ernest Rhys, 5 vols. (Dent).] containing essays written between 1870 and 1920, certain principles appear to control the chaos, and we detect in the short period under review something like the progress of history.
What this Textopian page supports
The Modern Essay is listed on Textopian as an essay by Virginia Woolf, dated 1917 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Virginia Woolf
- Date: 1917 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Nonfiction, Feminist Literature, Philosophical Literature, Modernism
- Length: 4,120 words
- Structure: 1 section, 125 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Modern Essay by Virginia Woolf
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Modern Essay?
- How does this essay by Virginia Woolf fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Nonfiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Literary Nonfiction — The Modern Essay is a collection of essays written by Virginia Woolf, a renowned literary figure. The essays explore a variety of topics, making it a work of literary nonfiction.
- Feminist Literature — The Modern Essay is written by Virginia Woolf, a prominent feminist writer. The essays explore topics related to gender, making it a work of feminist literature.
- Philosophical Literature — The Modern Essay contains essays that explore philosophical topics, such as the nature of truth and the purpose of life. As such, it is a work of philosophical literature.
- Modernism — The Modern Essay is written in the style of modernism, which is characterized by a focus on the individual and the exploration of the inner self. As such, it is a work of modernism.
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