Esseessä

Essee (and the form esseessä) is a Finnish literary prose genre and a general writing form used for presenting a focused discussion, reflection, or argument on a topic. The word esseessä specifically is the inessive case of essee, meaning “in the essay.” It is commonly used to refer to content located within a text or to talk about the essay’s own argument or themes. For example, in a sentence like “Tässä esseessä tarkastellaan ilmastonmuutoksen taloudellisia vaikutuksia,” the clause signals what the text inside the essay covers.

In practice, an essee is typically shorter and more flexible than a formal treatise. It centers on a central idea or thesis, but the structure can vary, ranging from tightly argued passages to more exploratory, impressionistic prose. A Finnish essay may combine description, analysis, and personal observation, and it often invites a subjective or evaluative stance rather than strict empirical reporting. The tone is usually clear and coherent, with a logical progression of ideas and evidence or examples to support points.

The language allows for stylistic variety, and common phrases include possessive constructions such as esseessäni (“in my essay”) or general references like esseessäni käsittelen… In plural usage, esseissä means “in the essays.” The term essee has historical roots in European literary tradition, borrowed into Finnish to denote this short, reflective prose form.