Plan to emphasize some original phrasing like “Coddling in School and College.” Use familiar words that every one will understand but use them in some new relation.
Make your essay point at a really serious fault that will be worthy of attack. Do not go into details, but make your writing represent your honest opinion.
Use expressions that will represent you, and that will make your essay personal in nature. Notice how Mr. Canby makes use of such words as “wobble,” “sloppy,” “half-baked,” “coddle,” “cram” and “white.” Notice, too, how many conversational short sentences Mr. Canby uses. His essay is like a vigorous talk. Make your own essay equally personal and equally vigorous.
A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE
By GLENN FRANK
(1887-). Editor of The Century Magazine. He is a member of many important associations, and was one of ex-President Taft's associates in suggesting a covenant for the League of Nations. His magazine articles are notable for constructive thought.
Any subject is appropriate material for the essayist, and any method of treatment is satisfactory so long as the writer gives us his personal reaction on some province of human thought.
The following critical essay begins with the writer's account of a series of papers that he once read. To this he adds his own serious comment, and he concludes his work by suggesting an ideal. In doing all this he makes free use of the pronoun “I,” and writes in an informal style.
The work is therefore not hard and fast logic, but mature and serious comment on life.
Several years ago there appeared a series of papers that purported to be the confessions of a successful man who was under no delusion as to the essential quality of his attainments. The papers are not before me as I write, and I must trust to memory and a few penciled notes made at the time of their appearance, but it will be interesting to recall his confessions regarding his education. I think they paint a fairly faithful picture of the mind of the average college graduate.