Abstract
The aim of this paper is to clarify some important features of a specific text genre called essay. There are discussed some strategies according to which we might successfully write and read the essays, instead of analysing a general concept of essay and traditional searching for the necessary and sufficient features. In this contribution the term of essay is divided into two categories named „academic essay” and „classic essay”. T he main part of this paper focuses on the classic essay that is explained by the triangle whose vertices are represented by „factuality”, „authenticity” and „literariness”. It is demonstrated that in this case we might criticise weakened coherence of the text, but just with the regard to the classic essay as a compromise between truth and elegance.