Repetition of Manner of Expression. This is desirable on the principle of economy of the reader's attention. 79. Elements of the thought that are paired together, or an, swer to each other, should have, if possible, a similar construction. EXAMPLES. - Notice, in the following, how the amended constructions promote the clearness and smoothness of the sentence: "He had good reason to believe that the delay was not an accident (accidental) but premeditated, and for supposing (to suppose, or else, for believing, above) that the fort, though strong both by art and naturally (nature), would be forced by the treachery of the governor and the indolent (indolence of the) general to capitulate within a week." When there is a large number of details to make uniform in construction, they may with elegance be broken into different groups. Observe how this is done in the following, from Cardinal Newman. The groups of uniform clauses are indicated by lines. "He writes passionately, because he feels keenly; forcibly, because he conceives vividly; | he sees too clearly to be vague; he is too serious to be otiose; | he can analyze his subject, and therefore he is rich; he embraces it as a whole and in its parts, and therefore he is consistent; he has a firm hold of it, and therefore he is luminous. | When his imagination wells up, it overflows in ornament; when his heart is touched, it thrills along his verse." 80. Studious likeness of construction, aided frequently by antithesis, is a favorite means of giving special distinction to related thoughts, by setting them in sharp relief against each other. This is called Balanced Structure. NOTE. Balance may occur between phrases, clauses, and sentences. The following passages will exemplify it in different relations. I. Phrases. 'The daily contemplation of superior beings and eternal interests." "For his sake the Almighty had proclaimed his will by the pen of the Evangelist, and the harp of the prophet." 2. Clauses. "They habitually ascribed every event to the will of the Great Being, for whose power nothing was too vast, for whose inspection nothing was too minute." "He remits his splendor, but retains his magnitude; and pleases more, though he dazzles less." 3. Sentences. "If they were unacquainted with the works of philosophers and poets, they were deeply read in the oracles of God. If their names were not found in the registers of heralds, they were recorded in the Book of Life. If their steps were not accompanied by a splendid train of menials, legions of ministering angels had charge over them." Tautology. Tautology is the repetition of the same sense in different words. It generally betokens either carelessness or poverty of thought; but in some cases it, or an approach to it, is admissible. EXAMPLES OF TAUTOLOGY.— From Tillotson: "Particularly as to the affairs of this world, integrity hath many advantages over all the fine and artificial ways of dissimulation and deceit; it is much the plainer and easier, much the safer and more secure way of dealing with the world; it has less of trouble and difficulty, of entanglement and perplexity, of danger and hazard in it. The arts of deceit and cunning do continually grow weaker, and less effectual and serviceable to them that use them." 81. The coupling of synonymous words and phrases is admissible when one word does not express the full sense intended, when greater stress is needed on some prominent part, or in impassioned language. EXAMPLES. -I. "No two words," says Professor Bain, "are exactly synonymous for all purposes; one has a shade that the other wants; and it may take both to give the whole meaning. Hence we are accustomed to such phrases as 'ways and means,' ́ passing and transitory,' ́ subject-matter.”” 2. For stress: "The head and front of his offending." "The end and design." 3. Language of passion. From Pitt: "I am astonished, I am shocked to hear such principles confessed; to hear them avowed in this house and in this country." 1 XII. INVERSION. In prose, as well as in verse, the writer has frequent occasion to invert the grammatical order of parts in a sentence,—to put verbs before their subjects, objects and predicate adjectives before their verbs, or adverbial words and phrases at the beginning of the sentence. The purposes of such inversion are here discussed. Inversion for Emphasis. Every word in the sentence has its natural position, where it fulfills its function, but attracts no special attention. As soon, however, as the word, whatever it is, becomes 1 The above remarks and examples on Tautology are taken from Bain's Rhetoric, pp. 68-70. a predominating element of the thought, the impulse is natural to move it out of its ordinary position, toward the beginning or end of the sentence; and the mere fact that it is in an unwonted place gives it distinction. 82. Inversion for emphasis, being a feature more natural to impassioned style, should be employed sparingly and only with obvious justification; otherwise it may easily make the style contorted and artificial. EXAMPLES OF INVERSION. -"Great is the mystery of space, greater is the mystery of time." Here the predicate adjective is made emphatic by being placed first. — “Silver and gold have I none." Here the object of the verb is similarly emphasized. — "Go I must"; "do it he shall." Here both the verbal root is emphasized by the unusual first place, and the auxiliary by being placed last. — “Behold, now is the accepted time." Here emphasis is given by inversion to the adverb.-"From the days of infancy still lingers in my ears this opening of a prose hymn by a lady then very celebrated.” Here the adverbial phrase is emphasized by coming first, and the subject, "this opening," by coming after its verb "lingers." Inversion for Adjustment. By this is meant the change of order made in adjusting the ideas of one clause or sentence to another. The predominant idea of a preceding sentence exerts an attraction on the similar or correspondent idea in the following; and naturally the latter is drawn to the beginning of its sentence. 83. Inversion for adjustment effects emphasis of the words displaced, as well as groups together related ideas; and is thus a very valuable means of securing continuity and subordination in the thought. EXAMPLES. "His friends took the necessary steps for placing him as an apprentice at some shopkeeper's in Penrith. This he looked upon as an indignity, to which he was determined in no case to submit." Here the second sentence takes up the idea that the preceding laid down, and makes it the basis of the next assertion. - From Cardinal Newman: "I do not claim for him (the great author), as such, any great depth of thought, or breadth of view, or philosophy, or sagacity, or knowledge of human nature, or experience of human life, though these additional gifts he may have, and the more he has of them the greater he is; but I ascribe to him, as his characteristic gift, in a large sense the faculty of Expression." Here the details in the first clause attract the summary of them in the second to the beginning of its clause. From Ruskin: "We are all of us willing enough to accept dead truths or blunt ones; which can be fitted harmlessly into spare niches, or shrouded and coffined at once out of the way; we holding complacently the cemetery keys, and supposing we have learned something. But a sapling truth, with earth at its root and blossom on its branches; or a trenchant truth, that can cut its way through bars and sods; most men, it seems to me, dislike the sight or entertainment of, if by any means such guest or vision may be avoided." Here the attracted idea is a contrasted one. 84. Unless, however, some consideration of emphasis or adjustment calls for it, the mere attraction of one word for another is not a sufficient reason for inversion. EXAMPLES. "Little by little were their apartments stripped of articles of ornament, piece by piece was their stock of furniture diminished; and the future offered them no hope." Here a partial inversion, so far, that is, as to place the adverbs first, is justifiable on the ground of emphasis; but to say further "were their apartments stripped," etc., instead of "their apartments were stripped," has no reason but the attraction of the adverb, and sounds artificial. Observe that in an impassioned sentence, where all attractions are stronger, the complete inversion is more natural; as, Gladly would I go, and freely would I offer myself for my country's welfare." XIII. EUPHONY. Although only a comparatively small proportion of literature is ever read or recited aloud, yet it should always be composed with due regard to its sound, and subjected continually to the test of articulation. Violations of euphony are due mostly to inadvertence; and it is indeed surprising how many infelicities of sound are admitted in hasty writing, or by an imperfectly trained ear. Sequence of Sounds. Cases where caution is especially needed in managing successions of sounds may be included under two rules. 85. The writer should be on his guard against sounds hard to pronounce together, or making a harsh combination. When for the sense a word containing a harsh sound must be adopted, special care should be devoted to relieving the harshness by the choice of the accompanying words. ILLUSTRATIONS. - Some words, in themselves harsh, cannot well be avoided; as "inextricable," "pledged," "adjudged,” “ fifthly"; but when combinations of such words occur the harshness is intolerable. Try, for instance, such combinations as the following: "stretched through"; "high-arched church"; "there is in the face an inexplicable expression of sadness"; "an inner indication." The same fault of harshness is shown in a sequence of unaccented short syllables; as in "prímarily," "péremptorily," cursorily," "lówlily," "státelily." As an illustration of the contrast between harsh and euphonious language, compare the following line, "'T was thou that smooth'd'st the rough rugg'd bed of pain," 1 with the following, or the following, "Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns," "The light that never was, on sea or land, 86. Care is needed also to avoid jingling recurrences of the same or similar sounds. An inadvertent rhyme is such a palpable indication of thoughtlessness that it can hardly escape being greeted with a smile. EXAMPLES. "As I gazed upon the mighty work, I said to myself, 'now Athens is indeed secure; come Greek or come Persian, nothing will subdue her."—"The river has its present name the same as the name the Indians gave it.” — “He felt afraid to mingle in such a fray."—"There is an ordinance of nature at which men of genius are perpetually fretting, but which does more good than many laws of the universe that they praise; it is, that ordinary women ordinarily prefer ordinary men." Sound and Sense. - A great many words in the language were evidently formed as the result of an effort to make sound correspond with sense, and be a kind of audible picture of it. Poetry deals with such words, and especially with combinations wherein movement and articulation produce this result together, more 1 On this line, which is ascribed to a certain Mr. Bowyer, De Quincey remarks, "'Smooth'd'st!' Would the teeth of a crocodile not splinter under that word? It seems to us as if Mr. Bowyer's verses ought to be boiled before they can be read." |