This collection provides readers with the materials they need to take a fresh look at this important but often overlooked form that has for too long been relegated to the role of service genre, used primarily to write about other more 'literary' genres or to teach young people how to write. Here, in a single volume, are four centuries of commentary and theory reminding us of the essay's history, its international appeal, and its relationship not just with poetry and fiction but also with radio, film, video, and new media.