St. Mary's beacon., 1853-03-24
PHILOSOPHY OF STYLE.


preston whether in speech or in writing
are as numerous as tiose of indivilua
characteristics. As no two persons have
-saseeS- precisfly alike, so 10 two have
qualities Of Litcrance preciSstfv sf i-ssr -! =!
respect 10 the embodying of thoughts and
feelings in words:
Some suggestive remarks in reference
10 the philosophy OF style appear in d
lafe number Of the Westminster Review.
The wri:er seems 10 70 very shrewdy 10
the roo, Of the matter. Many words
they darkcn speech although it is a
phrase used in the school books to Illus.
traie false erammer has yet a true
import in regard to The clearnrss and
force Of diction But line vhnice OF wor,ls.
as well as The number of words, has a
great deal 10 do with the vivaciiv aud
power OF expression. We leave the
subject, however, with the Rrrier, from
ich we quote Tho following
- No general theory OF expression
seems yet 10 have been enuncia,ed. The
maxins contained in works on compost
ton and rhetoric are presented in an
unorganized form. Standing as isolated
dogmas-as empirical congratulations,
they are neither so clearly appreheniei,
nor so much respected as they would be
were they deduced from some simple
first principle. We are told that 'brevi,y
is the soul OF wit We hear STYLES
condemned Us verbose or involved. Blair
says that every needless part Of sen
tence interrupts the descriptions and
clogs the image : aud again, that long
sentence fa.igucs the readers attention
II is remarked by Lord KaimcS, thut 20
give the utmost force 10 period, il ought,
II possible, TO close with the WORT that
makes IN" gTestest figure That paren.
thesis should be avoided, and that Saxon
words should be used in preference to
those OF Latin origin, are established
pr"cepts. But, however influential the
truths thus dogmsIically embodied. they
aniiil be much more Influential ff re
sSihing like scientific dina
ssSSds IN other Das@ ~
lion will be greatly strengtheneT Is hen
we understand the ichy. And vi NAV
be sure that perception Of the General
principle Of which the rules Of compost.
ton are partia! expressions, will net only
bring them home to us with greater
force, but will discover TO US other rules
Of like origin.
"On seeking for some clue TO the law
underlying these current maxime, We
NAV see Swallowed forth in many.of Them,
the importance Of economizing The rca.
der's or hearers attention. To 50 pre-.
sent ideas that they may be apprehended
with the least possible mental effort is the
desideratum towards which most Of the
rules above quoted point, When we
condemn writing that is wordy, or con.
fused, or igtrica;e-when we praise this
style as easy, and blame that as fa,iguing,
we consciously or unconsciouSiy assume
this desiieraium as our standard of indu.
men,. Regarding language as an ap
paratus of syn,tols for the conveyance of
thought, we may say thai. as in a me.
Chancal apparatus, the more simple and
better arranged its parts, the greater will!
be the effect produced. IN either case,
Whatever force is absorbed BY the ma.
chine il deducted from the result. A
reader or listener has at each momen,
but a limited amount OF mental power
available. To recognize and Interpret
the symbols presented 10 him requires
part of this power; 10 arrange and
and combine the images suggested re-
auires further part /; and only that pa TT
which remains can be used for the reali.
cation of the though: conveyed. Hence
the more time and attention il takes 20
receive and understand each sentence,
the less time and attention can be given
TO the contained idea and the Toss vivid.
" will that idea be conceived. How
truly language must be regarded as a
hindrance to thought, though the. ,ncces-
sary instrument Of it, we shall clearly
perceive on remembering the compare.
tive force with which simple ideas are
communicated by lnimeiic signs. To
say Leave The room,. is less expressive
than to point 30 the door. Placing a
a finger on the lips is more forciLIe than
whispering, DO not speak, A heck OF
the hand is Better than Come here No
phrase can convey the idea of surprise SO
wildly as opening The eyes and raising
the eyebrows. A sbrug'of the shoulders
would lose much by translation into
words. Again i, may be remarked that
when ofal language is employed, the
strongest efeis are produced by int rloc-
,ionsA which condense entire sentences
into syliables. And In other cases,
where custom allows US TO express
thoughts ~ single words as in Becsre,
HeigA, Fudge. much force would be lost
by exPending them into specific vrbeal
propositions. HENCE carrying Oh, the