New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-15

The title Of this book j. scarcely feHcHonS' lV' onV
main tendency Of the opinions brought together III us
pages is unm,akqhly toward the conclN' on 'la' "'c
i no art Of authorship. AT least none that can De
learned by any rules. The editor states IN MS preifoo
that he was requested by n number Of young men
To address them upon the art OF composition anu oio'C
i've public speech: and that thinking no" pes' ~
make such topic interesting well rs Instructive
no resolved 10 Illustrate the lecture by securing II
nossble personal experiences and cou1scls from rev
Of the leading writers and speakers OF u'c "'',
Naturally the idea grew and expanded rcs""nH !"
mis- volume which consists OF letters and extracts
from a number Of authors, English Amerl'al' "o'
man and French. all bearing upon the q'e'uo'lS
whether good writing Is Gift art how 10 a'l"'e
n GOOD STYLE. what methods Of composition I" d'"PD'
what reading exercises the happeSt lu'ue"'0 "P'"
STYLE and so forth good many OF INC a""
whose views have been invited almost II not q'nte
unknown in this country, but there frf'"n P'o"'
Of familiar names. and. rs might have been cAPo'"n'
tbcre l. nractcal unanmity among them on the MAN
poins and the natural diversity Of ndivduaii'h on
minor 49,
The answers to the quest'on-lS COCO "FI'le
eff or an art are nearly uniform. 20 the erect ''H
II Is essentially a gift and not an art IN ia't j. may
be said that no author admits knowledge VI .'o
manner in which he learned 10 write, ana TINS Is inc
testimony Of all, from the highest To the lowest Va
course the question about good writing rciN NV "''
the consideration Of style though an atcmPt J. mere
made 10 make separate department Of the latter
|
author can say b. what his style was formed
MANY writer's profess Inconsistencies as to thclr
/ nossosson Of A style. several seem 10 think tlAt
reading classical and standard books may hrip "'c
beginner though very few declare themselves 10 nave
hccn consciously assisted in this way. on other
topics their views various and often cnnrah't"iN'
one author ia ds that thorough classical cdu'at"h
&c necessary 10 the attainment Of good style An
other 4, equally positive that little or no classical
knowledge is requisite The last class p"iht I" TIE
! many author, who. without any Classical 'du'at'h'
have possessed fine styles and the argument 49, must
be owned difficult 10 overcome. In the mnltltudc ~
! councillors however. the beginner. though he may
find wisdom Is not likely find much substantial
helm and for the reason that the methods advocated
bv ono writer are condemned or ,concd a. hy another
Let MS take a few II these omcnllr uttcranccS IN
/ illustration Of Mr. Baintons well meant but rather
/ bcvildcrlng scheme.
The late Mrs Dnah Maria Crak writes: d" ! believe
composition Is cr. not an ar-impo.-ihie TO teach
! though il may DE improved ny study. The only sug.
| gcstion can make D.: lay what YOU have &" say
rs briefly and simply Won car. avoiding Ions words
and involved sentence. and prefcuine good saxon
English To IatlniEed. In writing. as in most "th'r
things 10 be Your own natural self without Affect aon
/ D., the trlcst wisdom Now M these sentences are
contained tho law and the prophets. ar author
shin j, concerned and IL VII 10 found that AL who
! follow MIR. Craik simply ring the changes upon the
words Of wisdom with which she opens the symposium
Mr. Han Game thinks that without natural car for
good prose writer viii ever do great things lie
/ himself took for model, Bfouc'mm and CARLYLE. a
course by no moan, TO 10 recommended 70 the iyro.
| and which would doubtless have spoiled Mr. Clncs
| style had he been the least Influenced by those
! shocking examples.
Professor Huxley says: 81 have never hal tho
fortune for good evil, TO receive any guidance or
! instruction u Tie art Of English composition. II D,
possibly for that reason have always turned deaf
| ear to The common advice 10 study good models
! ~ give Your days and i,h's 10 the study Of Al.
olson and on. Button sad that mans style
is hi- very self and In Judgment II ought To Doe 500
Professor Ilac,hcl writes. since son are specially
Interested Ia my STYLE and wish 10 know what methods
use iu my literary composition. can oulv reply That
! Unborn talent fvors me- possibly and that from
! early youth on ! have wished TO give my Thought,
- clear and precise expression. special literary cdu-
| cation / have had none nor have ! bestowed any care
on artistic compo-tou' Professor Iyudc IN a
| letter from hl, ayortc Alps. says Emerson has said
IN one Of his essay, that there methods in Matte
! MATES which iucommunicahlc and IL certainly
would be a difficult if not an impossible task for me
to tell you how reached the style Of which you arr
kind enough 10 peak iavorahly 70 think clearly
is The first requisite. My next aim Is to express
clearly IN writing what | think
The Hon. James Russell Lowell is "inclncd to
think that mans style j, born with him, and that
style modelled upon auothcrs j, apt to be none or
| w0isc.7
Edmund Clarence stedman says: u am the more
impressed the longer live with the force Of Buttons
saying 'Ycs the style is indeed the man.
Julian Hawthorne Is disposed to think that literary
style is largely matter Of innate aptitude and Is
foscrcd rs much by the study of good author, Is by
personal Efforts
Speaking Of methods Of composition. the late Robert
browning says: i cannot name any one author who
exclusively Influenced in that rcspect-as Ia the
nttest expression Of thought but thought Itself had
many impul,ion, from various sourccs.'
william Norris poet aud socialist sends a charac-
eristc letter In which he say, Cof the young men
for whose bchoof these views were collected: " If
were advising thcm | should advise them to learn a,
soon possible the sad fact that they are slave,
whatever their position may be, that they might
turn the whole Of their energc, toward winning free
dom, If for themselves. yet for the children they
VIII DTget Under such conditions art and literature
are not worth consideration
A very sound statement IS that Of Professor John
stuart Blacke. who writes =" made any special
study Of style, and whatever virtue have In
th, way up NV mind grew uncon. ciou~y.
style to depend three things. III 4 mental
attitude and character; (2l familiarity with the best
Authors (3) deAterity In the of words. acquired
by constant practice. 50 must learn to speak
by speaking, we learn 10 walk 10y walking.
to dance by dancing The thing in
writing l. to have distinct and clear ana well
marshacd ideas. and then to express them simply
and without ancctation. Thi, form, what may
call the bone, Of a good style. Then you must tudy
to give color by apt images, and warmth - natural
passion and earncstncSS. The music OF words aud the
cadence of sentences is matter which depend, the
ear And he concludes: But IL Is dincult give
advice in such matter. Every man must have his
own style, he has his own face and hi, feat
urcS.n
| These extracts will serve b. show the general
trend of the book The letters may be read AZ
length with much interest, since they really for
the most part autobiography Fragments and throw
light upon the habits and methods Of many wrlt,r,
well known 10 the world. Bat no one can read the
| volume through without seeing that it Is a virtual
denial Of the theory that composition and STYLE can
| be acquired "A, arts.
That this theory should have obtained acceptance
at all Is indeed but a fresh proof OF popular thonrlt