THE ANATOMY OF AN ESSAY

THE ANATOMY OF AN ESSAY

Part 1

By: Taofeek Ọlálékan Ògúnpérí

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IN a strict sense, an essay is a short, nonfictional prose. It is a piece of writing that shares with poetry the attribute of economized words while still passing messages as deep and as much as possible. When writing an essay, therefore, the writer should attempt to share their idea(s) while keeping in mind the importance of saying more with less.

In order to say more with less, a writer has to pay attention to what could be called “the anatomy of an essay”. In an essay, one must make manifest the components of the anatomy. The components exist within a structure which is mainly divided into three: the introduction, the body and the conclusion. They are very important even in prose writings that are not essays, especially ones that are nonfiction.

In an introduction, a writer can foreground the ensuing idea(s) of the essay. This can be done in some creative ways, depending on the abilities of the writer. Crafting the introduction in a creative way that appeals matter because of some reasons. For one, it provokes the reader’s interest in the essay. Two, it allows the writer direct their essay the right path.

In the anatomy of an essay, the body is the heart. Just like the human heart, it holds the breaths of the essay. These breaths are the points or ideas the reader looks forward to reading. When an essay fails to hold the reader’s attention here, it could be said that it is a lifeless one. To be absolved of this, a writer can use outlining to create nucleuses for the constituents of the body of their essay. One simple way is by first writing the intended point for each paragraph in one sentence and developing it into a paragraph.

Often mistreated, overlooked, omitted, to name but three injustices, the conclusion is yet a very important part of an essay. It is a station which can either be the end of the journey (from the introduction through the body) or a significant stop, a guide to the destination. It could resolve or suggest the presence of conflict(s). Overall, a conclusion is the farewell of an essay which, if left undone, could leave the reader perplexed and lost.

Writing an essay is not hard when writerly prudency is applied. From the introduction to the conclusion, following an arrangement that makes the writing process seamless and comprehensive helps a lot. This will ensure that every word, every phrase, every clause, every sentence, every paragraph is relevant and healthy in the context of the essay's subject.

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Taofeek is a newbie foodie without a thing for soft drinks. He is yet to learn how to drive a car but he has, for years, been driving the ever increasing readers of his works to points of ecstasy. He has written for New York Parrot, Parkchester Times, Muslim Community Report, and The Scribe Post. His works have also appeared in some other electronic and print literary platforms. He tweets with @TaofeekOgunperi.