As opposed to all other works of writing we were exposed to this year, the essay format is perhaps the most straightforward, given that deeper meanings and messages are outright described. These works are indeed more lacking in poetic and concrete language than the poems and short stories, however this is not what makes this an essay compilation. The essays are brief synopses of thoughts from the authors point of view, and while they may include somewhat of a story, this is likely not the main point in which the writer is attempting to convey. These essays often came in a first-person point of view, and usually include a personal experience from the author, giving the work a more personal attachment. The essays are straightforward, but this medium of writing can be very diverse as well, despite their usual use throughout the literary world.
The first essay that came to mind in this compilation was Red: An Invocation, as the instance in which the personal story was told was a very brief, yet it included a great deal of description about the sighting. The story itself. The essay dealt with the aesthetic beauty of the fox and the captivation that followed the sighting of the animals. Red: An Invocation, is likely speaking to the emotion that is invoked upon seeing the animals and their respective attributes that captivated the author in this way. This essay proved the diverse nature of the essay, and what an essay entails; the story was indeed short, yet it provided this plethora of sensory information and emotion.
The Mint Snowball was perhaps my favorite essay within the compilation, as the beginning are polar opposites in their tones and descriptions. At first, the author seeks to regale the audience with feelings of nostalgia as she tells of the drug store and all of the sensory information associated with this place. Later on, however it is revealed that the recipe for their famous "Mint Snowball" syrup was sold, and later the Mint Snowball altogether, which effectively transitions the tale into a more somber tone. The author then relates the loss of their Mint Snowball to another emotion, as the meaning of the senses relating to this flavor now invoke sadness and other negative emotions. In a way, this story establishes the boundaries by which an essay can go, as one thinks of essays as purely expository, they can also be poetic and invoke emotion within the audience to a great extent.
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