Persona of "Elia" (Lamb) or William Hazlitt
Sample Solution
Charles Lamb is generally considered the master of personal essays of which Montaigne is the greatest exponent. His essays are collected in Essays of Elia and Last Essays of Elia. In literary history he is remembered as the Prince of English essayists. His essays are marked by self- revelation, humor and pathos, and a conversational style. Lamb delights the reader with his personal details, genial humor, amiable personality and sweetness of disposition. His range of subject matter is amazingly diverse. Charles Lamb, an even more personal essayist, projects with apparent artlessness a carefully managed portrait of himself—charming, whimsical, witty, sentimental, and nostalgic. As his fine Letters show, however, he could on occasion produce mordant satire. In his essays Lamb reveals himself. He is a visualiser of memories. His essays give a glimpse into his life and thought. The essay 'Dream Children' is noted for its autobiographical description. It is a reverie. The reason behind the creation of this essay is the death of his brother John. It unveils the author's soul. It is full of pathos. ' A Bachelor's Complaint' is also an autobiographical and humorous essay. Here Lamb describes various oddities of the married couples.