Essay

4 works

4 works of Essay in the Western literary canon — ranked by Gröblé, with difficulty, length, and influence at a glance.

Essay, Ranked

According to Groblé

  1. 38Self-Reliance and Nature1844Ralph Waldo EmersonEasy·Medium·154 pagesInfluence49Popularity35TranscendentalistsEssayEnglish
  2. 86Common Sense1776Thomas PaineBreezy·Short·80 pagesInfluence46Popularity57EnlightenmentEssayEnglish
  3. 111The Complete Essays1580Michel de MontaigneEasy·Epic·2,040 pagesInfluence86Popularity35RenaissanceEssayFrench
  4. 154Walden or, Life in the Woods1854Henry David ThoreauEasy·Long·459 pagesInfluence49Popularity73TranscendentalistsEssayEnglish