to the subject Eusingly to vioments of style uch more time ur lectures to ragraphs, and s course, then, to reduce my y seven about hs; and then npositions as uld. The rebefore you at it only as an f you to have > one serious ecture about any of the sitions much rence; but so 7 massed; I it which on on,-to the etween good t once most n the other 1 one about might very wished most to emphasize: the independence, an the similarity of each of the three stages of con tion, sentences, paragraphs, and wholes. I c then, deliberately to crowd my lecture about tences, and perhaps in some degree unduly to ex this one about whole compositions. What su has attended my work, you can judge better tl If it has served clearly to define what I conceive the chief facts about the elements of style, it has all I could venture to hope. In few words, I have tried to make clear that use, and nothing else, is what ultimately makes w alone or in composition, significant of ideas,thing more than arbitrary marks or sounds. within its limits can we possibly apply any prind at all; but when we have once learned to reco its limits, and begin to inquire how within these l we may best exert ourselves, we find that in all elements of composition there are three traits to w we may well attend: the substance of the com tion, its outward form, and its inner structure. we find that our consideration of each of these t is much aided by a definite rule. If in conside the substance of a sentence, or of a paragraph, or whole, we remind ourselves of the principle of U that each composition should group itself about central idea, we shall find the question of wh given composition may best include a great deal e to answer than without such help. And so whe sen paragraph, or whole-should be so massed that the If we have followed all this with reasonable care, we need hardly stop here to remind ourselves again that for convenience' sake we have phrased these principles much more dogmatically than we are warranted in phrasing them. The single thing about which we may always risk positive assertion in matters concernWithin the limits of that the ing style is good use. only real question is what effects we have in mind. In by far the greater number of cases that present themselves, we wish to produce an effect of definite, firm mastery of the matter in hand. With such an object in view, there is no plan better than so far as good use will permit deliberately to obey the principles we have formulated; but if the effect we wish to produce be other than the ordinary one I have just mentioned, a deliberate disregard of the principles may often help us to produce it. Nothing, for exambetter produce an effect of confusion than affect assed that the itters concern- that present et of definite, With such an an so far as › I have just ; and so on. new problem tainty settle for himself without a very clear u standing of just the effect he wishes to produce. In our consideration of words, of sentences, an paragraphs, we reached this same point; and there is little need to dwell on it. We all reme that every word not only names an idea, but sug along with the idea it names a greater or sm number of others. We all remember that as w are composed, not only their denotations are together, but their connotations too. And the san true when sentences are composed in paragraphs, paragraphs in whole compositions. In Thacker description of Brussels during Waterloo, for exan the battle is mostly connoted. The effect, in sl which any composition, large or small, produce just like the effect that any word produces, -a tion of denotation and of connotation combined ways that as the art of composition grows finer come almost infinitely subtile. up And now it may be worth while once more to what I have said about the elements of style,visible features of which every composition mus made up: All style must consist of words, compose sentences, composed in paragraphs, composed in w compositions. Our choice of words is absolutely trolled by good use; but within its limits we are by varying the kinds and the number of our word produce a great variety of effects. Our compositio sentences must be largely controlled by good us the form of grammar and idiom · hut within its 1: we are again able to produce a great variety of effects, by varying the kinds of our sentences and by applying to all kinds the principles of Unity, of Mass, and of Coherence. In our composition of paragraphs and of wholes, we are little trammelled by good use; so we may vary our effects by the application of these principles almost as we please. Modern style may be regarded, then, as the result of a constant and by no means finished contest between good use and the principles of composition. And, finally, realizing that any effect in style must be produced only by means of our composition of the elements, we should never forget that in our choice and our composition alike there are two things to keep in mind: their denotation, what they name; and their connotation, — what they suggest. by applying lass, and of aphs and of use; so we these prinbe vle may and by no se and the ealizing that by means of d never foralike there notation,- what they VI. CLEARNESS. To this point we have been considering the out and visible aspect of style. Henceforth we shal proach the subject in another way. Of a given of style we shall ask ourselves, not what it consis but what effect it produces. We shall concern selves chiefly, not with its elements, but with its ties. Widely various as the impressions which can make evidently are, they may, we have see summed up under three and only three headings the first place, any piece of style appeals to the u standing; we understand it, or we do not under it, or we are doubtful whether we understand not; in other words, it has an intellectual qu In the second place, it either interests us, or bor or leaves us indifferent; it appeals to our emot it has an emotional quality. Finally, it either pl us, or displeases us, or leaves us neither pleased offended; it appeals to our taste; it has a qu which I may call æsthetic. Under one of these ings, as I have said, fall in a general way all qualities of style which I have discovered. We |