A satirical essay makes a point by illuminating the ridiculousness of a practice, event, individual or situation. In his essay "A Modest Proposal," Jonathan Swift mocks the suffering of the poor by making the satirical recommendation that they consume their own offspring. Writing in the genre of satire enrages or entertains audiences while causing them to think critically about an issue.
An essay in the style of memoir indicates imaginative non-fiction. Exquisite prose is essential to crafting a well-written memoir, because the common desired effect of a creative non-fiction essay is to communicate truths about life. For example, in Barnard Cooper's creative non-fiction essay "Burl's," he describes his childhood awakening to the fact that he is homosexual. This genre affects readers by sharing common experiences, seeking answers to deep life questions and imbibing existence with meaning.
Flash fiction essays are similar to fiction in that they incorporate imaginary events and characters. This genre, however, relies on extreme brevity and word economy. Authors often use flash fiction essays to cause the reader to contemplate life while marveling at the writer's dexterity with words. Tobias Wolf's "Bullet in the Brain" is a brief exploration of a man's most significant memories at death, as well as a colorful and self-conscious experimentation with syntax.
Authors write non-fiction essays to communicate with readers in a convincing manner. An author might write a non-fiction essay on the effects of net fishing on dolphin populations. Similarly, academic authors may craft non-fiction essays to convince colleagues that their interpretations of a particular work or historical event are correct. Writers intend for this genre to affect an audience by causing them to think about a problem and its solutions, or convince readers to agree with the author.