Abstract
The article provides an overview of scientific research related to the genre features of essay writing, systematizes the definitions given to essays. The features of the essay as a literary genre are analyzed and analyzed. The purpose of the study is to determine the genre character and features of the formation of essay writing as a literary genre in Kazakh literature. The relevance of the research topic is due to the constant interest of philologists of various profiles in the essay genre. Being by definition a free form, the essay is difficult to generalize. The study used such methods as generalization, systematization, analysis and formulation. The article examines the philosophical, literary-critical, journalistic and lyrical features of the essay. Only when the lyrical tone of the essay prevails, it will quickly reach the reader’s heart and make an impression. The article says that «the work reflects the subtle curves of the human soul, psychological transparency and romantic mood, and also reveals the stylistic originality of the author. Another feature of the essay is its clear formulation. «It artistically reflects philosophical thought and historical knowledge» the conclusion is made. The results of the study can be used in conducting research related to essay writing, in lectures on the courses «History of Kazakh Literature», «Literary Criticism». Keywords: literary genre, essay, prose, journalism, literary studies, a memoir novel.