The objective of this investigation is to conduct research into the authors of Sepedi essays (and their works) whose essays display elements of excellence. The works that are investigated include only essay collections that were published between 1968 and 1996. The investigation has shown that the excellence of this type of literary text is derived from the skill that is evident in the construction of their plots and on the internal arrangement of the essays themselves. The research uses the three methods of comparison, definition and interpretation for analysing the Sepedi essays. The purpose in comparing the essays is to identify the similarities that exist among them. The definition of the essays demonstrates that the essays function as literary texts. The interpretation that follows comparison and definition enables the researcher to show and emphasise the distinctive abilities and talents of the authors of this selection of Sepedi essays. The researcher defines the meaning of the term “essay” in order to provide the reader with a basis for understanding the concept as it is used in this research. An essay is accordingly defined as the way in which a single theme is used in different situations. The researcher argues that an essay is “excellent” when the author of the essay uses language in such a way that he or she inspires enthusiasm and interest in the reader. In her definition of the concept “essay”, the researcher makes specific reference to the type of essays with which this research deals. She also deals in the text with the three layers or components that make up an essay, namely content, plot and style. The totality of the plot is contained by the following four elements: (a) title, (b) introduction, (c) body, and (d) conclusion. This chapter concludes with a typology of essays, namely: narrative essays, explanatory essays, descriptive essays and self-reflective essays. These are the kinds of essays on which this research is based. The research also makes special mention of Mabitje’s essays because it has been shown that his essays are based on five parts, four of which represent the seasons of the year. It is notable that while Mabitje used three different methods of narrating his essays, he only wrote narrative and self-reflective essays. Selwalekgwadi produced a collection of essays which comprises five essays. The title of his collection is based on a unique language. While some of Selwalekgwadi’s essays belong to the category of narrative essays, others may be classified as self-reflective essays. Makopo, on the other hand, produced ten essays which are narrated by means of songs and recitations. Because the purpose behind Makopo’s essays is educational, the dominant theme of these essays is democracy. While some of Makopo’s essays can be classified as narrative in style, others are more descriptive. Although the essays produced by Mabitje and Phala are based on different themes, their messages are similar and they are all based on what was happening around them when they were written. An analysis of these essays shows that they all belong to either the narrative or descriptive categories. Chupyane’s collection of essays deal with topics that occurred a long time ago. Because they describe the traditional roles of women in their society, Chupyane’s essays are essentially self-reflective. This investigation has produced convincing evidence that there are only a few authors of Sepedi essays whose work may be described as excellence because the signs of excellence of presence, in each case, in (a) the topic of the essay; (b) the introduction to the essay; (c) the body of the essay; (d) the conclusion of the essay, and (e) the handling of the type of essay chosen by the author. The Sepedi authors who distinguished themselves by producing essays that are excellent in each of these components during the time frame under consideration are Mahapa, Mabitje, Selwalekgwadi, Makopo, Phala and Chupyane. Because all of the six essays selected by the researcher for this investigation demonstrate excellence in each of these elements, they meet all the criteria for excellence as defined in this research. This research further demonstrates the exceptional skills of Mahapa, Mabitje, Selwalekgwadi, Makopo, Phala and Chupyane by analysing selected passages from the essays of the authors concerned. These analyses focus on various elements in the content, plot and the style of the essays. The unique talents and distinctive abilities of the Sepedi authors who are the subject of this research are supported by an analysis of selected quotations and particular examples from the essays by Mahapa, Mabitje and Chupyane. AFRIKAANS : Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om navorsing te doen oor die skrywers van Sepedi-essays wat ’n element van uitnemendheid bevat (en hierdie skrywers se werk). Die tekste wat in aanmerking geneem is, sluit essayversamelings in wat tussen 1968 en 1996 gepubliseer is. Die ondersoek het getoon dat die uitnemendheid van hierdie soort literêre teks enersyds berus op die vaardigheid waarmee die intrige saamgestel is, en andersyds, op die rangskikking van die essays. Die navorsing maak gebruik van drie metodes vir die ontleding van Sepedi- essays-te wete vergelyking, definiëring en interpretasie. Die doel met die vergelyking van essays is om inherente ooreenkomste te identifiseer. Die definiëring van die essays toon aan dat die essays as literêre tekste funksioneer. Die interpretasie wat volg op die vergelyking en definisie, stel die navorser in staat om die uitsonderlike vermoëns en talent van die Sepedi- skrywers bloot te le en te benadruk. Die navorser defineer die term “essay” en voorsien die leser sodoende van ‘n grrondige uiteensetting van die konsep wat in hierdie navorsing vervat is. ’n Essay word derhalwe gedefinieer as ‘n skrywe waarin ‘n enkele tema op verskillende maniere toegepas word. Die navorser is van mening dat die essay “uitsonderlik’ is, wanneer die taalgebruik van die skrywer op so ‘n wyse aangewend word dat dit die leser inspireer om entoesiasties en met belangstellings verder te lees. In haar definisie van die koonsep ‘essay’, verwys die navorser in die besonder na die tipe essay wat in hierdie navorsing voorkom. In die teks hanteer die navorser ook die drie vlakke of komponente waaruit ‘n essay bestaan, naamlik die inhoud, intrige en styl. Die intrige in sy geheel, bestaan uit die volgende vier elemente: (a) titel, (b) inleiding, (c) hoofdeel en (d) die slot. Hierdie hoofstuk eindig met ’n tipologie wat verskillende essays lys, te wete verhalende essays, verklarende essays, beskrywende essays en selfbesinnende essays. Dit verteenwoordig die essay-soorte waarop hierdie navorsing gebaseer is. Die navorsing maak spesifieke melding van Mabitje se essays omdat dit op vyf dele gebaseer is - vier van vyf dele verteenwoordig die vier seisoene van die jaar. Dit is merkwaardig dat alhoewel Mabitje drie werskillende vertellingsmetodes in sy essays gebruik het, hy slegs verhalende en selfbesinnende essays geskry het. Selwalekgwadi het ’n versameling van vyf essays geskryf. Die titel van hierdie versameling is op ’n unieke taal gebaseer. Sommige van Selwalekgwadi se essays val in die verhalende kategorie, terwyl ander as selfbesinnend geklassifiseer kan word. Makopo het tien essays geskryf, waarvan die vertelling by wyse van liedere en voordragte geskied. Omdat die doel van die Makopo essays didakties van aard is, handel die dominante tema oor demokrasie. Sommige van Makopo se essays kan as verhalend geklassifiseer word, terwyl ander meer beskrywend van aard is. Alhoewel Mabitje en Phala se essays op verskillende temas gebaseer is, is hulle boodskappe soortgelyke en is hulle almal gegrond op die werklikheidsgebeure van die tydvak waarin hulle geskryf is. ‘n Ontleding van hierdie essays dui daarop dat hulle in een van twee kategorieë val, of verhalende of beskrywende essays. Chupyane se versameling essays is gebaseer op gebeurlikhede uit ‘n verre verlede. Oomrede hierdie essays die tradisionele rolle van vroue in die gemeenskap uitbeeld, word Chupyane se werk as oorwegend selfbesinnend geklasifiseer. Hierdie ondersoek het oortuigende bewys gelewer dat daar slegs ’n paar Sepedi skrywers is wie se werk as uitnemend beskryf kan word. Hierdie aanname berus op tekens van uitsonderlike teenwoordigheid in elk van die volgende onderafdelings: (a) die onderwerp van die essay; (b) die inleiding tot die essay; (c) die hoofdeel van die essay; (d) die slot van die essay en (e) die hantering (deur die spesifieke skrywer) van die gekose, bepaalde soorte essay. Die Sepedi skrywers wat, in die tydgleuf onder bespreking, aan hierdie hoë verwagtinge voldoen, en daarin uitgeblink het, sluit die volgende in: Mahapa, Mabitje, Selwalekgwadi, Makopo, Phala en Chupyane. Al ses essays wat gekies is deur die navorser, getuig van uitnemendheid in elk van die elemente omdat hulle aan al die kriteria, soos uiteengesit in hierdie navorsing, voldoen. Voorts demonstreer hierdie navorsing die uitsonderlike vaardigheid van Mahapa, Mabitje, Selwalekgwadi, Makopo, Phala en Chupyane deur middel van die ontleding van gekose uittreksels uit die werke van genoemde skrywers. Hierdie ontledings fokus op verskeie elemente rakende die inhoud, intrige en die styl van die essays. Die unieke talent en uitsonderlike vermoëns van die Sepedi skrywers, wat die onderwerp van hierdie navorsing is, word verder ondersteun deur ‘n analise van geselekteerde aanhalings en spesifieke voorbeelde uit die essays van Mahapa, Mabitje en Chupyane. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / African Languages / unrestricted