Sharp Ideas

In 1729, when Jonathan Swift wanted to make people aware of the horrible poverty of the Irish, he chose the essay as his weapon and wrote A Modest Proposal. In that essay, he suggested, sarcastically, that the Irish should sell their children as food. His suggestions sounded vaguely practical and reasonable but really criticised the foolishness of those who ignored human values and relied only on scientific ideas. Such people had suggested, for example, that famine …

…just a summary. Too often, students destroy the impact of their writing by blandly repeating the same points raised a few lines before. An essay is a tool that can be used in many ways: to inspire; to condemn; to honour; or to help. But whether it hacks at ignorance like a dull knife or slashes like Swift's bright sword, will depend the writer’s grip on the language and the sharpness of the words.