Could you write an essay on just ONE word?

[AuntShecky]

I read in the paper today that a long-standing tradition at a British college is coming to an end. From what I gather was an entrance requirement, would-be scholars were once asked to write a substantial essay on a topic described in just one word, such as "death."

From that practice came student lore and amusing anecdotes of the triumph and disasters of "winging it" or writing "off the cuff" on just one word.

Tell me, LitNutters, could you do this? When given just one term -- say "hypocrisy" or "gratitude" would you be able to expound like a philosopher or an Oxford don? I'm not sure I could, but then, that depends on just what the particular word was.

Please read the following article -- which is in places hysterically funny -- and tell me what you think:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/world/europe/28oxford.html?scp=1&sq=Oxford%20tradition+%20%22death%22%20+%20%22expo und%22&st=cse

[Revolte]

Well it depends, if you cant stray from the word itself and get into the uses of it why its good or why its bad, its moral usage and whatever else, I dont think I could, or would even bother taking the time to do so, when I could be spending that time hitting any real issues that come from the word or are associated with the word.

[Lokasenna]

I once submitted a two word essay in high school as a joke (with, I must admit, a real essay to back it up). The question set was "How New is New Labour?" to which I wrote "Not very."

Actually, my teacher entered into the spirit of the thing, giving it full marks for "cutting insight" and "eloquent brevity" before announcing she was going to read it in its entirety to the class!

[AuntShecky]

Loved that anecdote, Lokasenna.
The Oxford exam itself, apparently, consisted of just one word about which the candidate was supposed to expound for hours.
Note that the NYT article said that it was "the hardest test in the world;" perhaps what made it difficult was not so much the answer writing but the judgement afterward.
First, the execution, and then the "execution."

[Hawkman]

How many words?

[Alexander III]

I would actually prefer to write an essay about one word than an essay on any novel which I should have studied...you have more freedom of thought and you can let your mind bubble across all the bridges in the mind.

[D.P.Trottier]

Mark Z. Danielewski could probably do it. He wrote a book called House of Leaves which is pretty astounding and has a great back story. the entire book is partially a satire a professional criticism and speculation, mainly on films. but in reality people who write those fixate, dwell and dissect any tiny aspect of something like the wallpaper choice in the backgound of a 10 second scene from a movie.

I guess that strayed from the topic a bit but i thought it seemed relevent; being able to delve into the smallest detail and analyze the hell out of it from the inside out.

[minstrelbard]

I think I'd probably write a bit about the word, then mostly write about the kind of person who would set an exam like that, and who would really want to read dozens of essays about that one word. And that kind of person would not come off very well in my essay.

So I guess that disqualifies me for Oxford. And probably England in general ...