February 23, 1533
Périgord, France
September 13, 1592
Bordeaux, France

Author

"It is an absolute perfection and virtually divine to know how to enjoy our being lawfully."

Michel de Montaigne, "Of Experience."

The French author Michel de Montaigne created a new literary genre (form), the essay, in which he used self-portrayal as a mirror of humanity in general. The term "essay" was first used by Montaigne for short prose discussions. It comes from the French word essai, meaning "trial," "an attempt," or "testing." The informal essay as Montaigne understood and developed it is the method a writer uses to test his or her own views on life and the self.