THE

CHAPTER III.

SPECIAL OBJECTS IN STYLE.

HE two foregoing chapters have discussed such choice and combination of words as would promote especially the qualities of correctness, consistency, and clearness. But both by choice and combination of words other qualities may be imparted, qualities just as necessary to good style, though higher. To discuss the most important of these is the task of the present chapter.

Important as these higher qualities are, yet we cannot say, as of the foregoing, that they must enter invariably into all writing. They are sought rather for particular and occasional ends; hence our title, special objects in style. The rules that embody the chief and most practical of these may be gathered together under the following five heads:

1. Force.

2. Emphasis.

3. Rapidity. 4. Life.

5. Smoothness.

In the effort to obtain these qualities are involved many of the most fascinating problems in composition.

I. FORCE.

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It is not always enough that a thought be expressed clearly and correctly. For even then it may be dull and tedious, lacking in vigor and interest. It must be so

written as to rouse and hold people's attention, stimulate them to think and realize what is said; it must also be adapted to slow and heavy minds as well as to minds bright and attentive. This fact makes it generally necessary to impart to our writing more distinction than its merely intelligible expression would demand.

Force, in its large sense, is such a comprehensive quality that for convenience of treatment and practice it is distributed in this chapter under the three heads of force, emphasis, and life. In the present section we use force in the narrower sense, to indicate the vigor imparted to style by the choice of forceful words and by the cutting out of words that are insignificant, or that merely serve to fill up. With its problems, therefore, both choice of words and phraseology are concerned.

I.

Rules for securing Force.- What has already been said of choice of words1 may here be repeated of force: it is not in the power of these rules, nor of any rules, to make one a forceful writer. Back of any real power in writing must lie, after all, strength of thought and conviction. All that can be attempted here is to indicate some of the ways in which, through the manner of expression, increased strikingness or distinction may be imparted to ideas.

45. For vigor of vocabulary, use plain words.

Words that are the most easily understood make the strongest impres

sion; hence, in general, the writer's

vocabulary is made more strong by the use of common words, words of the home and of everyday life, words

1 See above, page 10.

expressing simple relations. The Saxon element of the language, both in its words and in its racy idioms, has the advantage of vigor as well as of intelligibility,1 and for the same reason, because it is the original, plainer, commoner element.

ILLUSTRATIONS. Thus, comparing words of the common and words of the refined or learned class:

Many writers use large words with the idea that they are making their expression stronger; while they may thereby be making it only more pretentious and formal.

46. To give force to single words, make them specific.

We think in particulars. Even if a class name is given to us we make it definite to our mind by thinking of some

specimen or individual of that class. It is a great advantage. therefore, and makes a stronger impression, to give the particular specific name at the outset.

ILLUSTRATION. Thus, to say, "He fought like an animal" is weak; to say, "He fought like a wild beast" is stronger because more specific; and stronger still as still more specific it is, to say, "He fought like a tiger." Force of conception increases according to the more specific nature of the word.

Verbs as well as nouns may be specific or general in various degrees, and the choice of the more specific has the same kind of effect. So also has the choice of a definite numeral instead of an indefinite.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

1. Consider how much stronger are the specific acts here mentioned: "And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt,” - than if the writer had said, destroyed the city and took measures to make

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the land unfruitful and desolate."

2. When Goldsmith says, "We kissed our little darlings a thousand times" he expresses it much more forcibly than if he had said "a great many times."

47. For weighty force, cut away modifiers.

Almost any modification of a word limits it; and while perhaps it applies the word more accurately, it makes the word exert less than its whole force. In the same way with a whole sentence: it may be so cumbered with exceptions and saving clauses as to have no vigor left. It gives weight to an assertion to choose a word that does not have to be limited.

ILLUSTRATIONS. -1. To say, "He was a hero" is more forcible than to say, "He was a brave, single-minded, self-forgetful hero,' because the word hero already contains all that needs to be said, and the rest only limits and weakens.

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2. Consider how much stronger it is to say, "This measure is infamous," than to say, It is my conviction that under the present very critical circumstance this measure may not unfitly bcharacterized as infamous, or at least as very deplorable." The saving clauses serve to diminish the effect.1

48. For abrupt force, cut away connectives.

It may sometimes be the object to strengthen the expression not so much. of the ideas as of the relation between ideas; and when such relation is clearly implied, a strong abruptness is given to the expression by leaving out the connective.

1 Of course, if accuracy or euphemism is required, rather than force, such saving clauses are quite in place; see under Rule I, above.

ILLUSTRATIONS. To say, "You say this; I deny it" is stronger than to say, "but I deny it," or "I, on the other hand, deny it." This last is lengthy and clumsy. In general, strength is increased by using short connectives in preference to long, and by dispensing with the connective where clearness will bear it. "Let him have never so righteous a cause, it is but the turn of a hand for God to prove him perverse." The word and where the caret mark is would weaken the expression.

In a similar way strength may be promoted by cutting away the articles from a series of details.

49. For condensed force, cut down phrases and clauses to equivalent words.

Closely connected with force of expression, and generally a promoter of it, is brevity. A strong impression needs in most cases to be a quick impression. But, in order to be strong, the quick impression must be as suggestive as the longer one; and this suggestiveness can often be retained by cutting down phrases or clauses to single words, or, what is the same, using single words that have the force of phrases.

EXAMPLES. Note the greater force of the condensed expressions in the following :—