On Style.
On the subject of style, the authors of books telling how to write,
flounder solemnly. They remind me very much of Van Vechten’s tale of
the rather massive female who tried to explain a cubistic production
to an outspoken doubter and coming a cropper in the effort, proved
that she knew nothing about the subject. The said doubter had declared
that “There’s always a lot of talk, but nothing is clear.” And it is
exactly so when self appointed instructors arise to explain “style” in
literature.
Perhaps if you get this into your mind it will serve. To tell a story,
two persons are involved--a writer and a reader. It is the business
of the writer to win, _to persuade the reader_. All the rest follows.
The writer must choose the clearest way, the nearest way, the most
pleasant way. His manner of doing that is his style.
Next, how shall style be attained? Take Thoreau for your teacher in
this. He said: “If you have anything to say it will fall from you
as a stone falls from your hand.” You know that is true. Of course,
different men will have different ways of expressing themselves just
as they have mannerisms in their daily acts. But we must remember that
one man’s style will not fit another man. Imitation is idle. That is
all I can tell you about style. I could wrap what I have said above
into a cloak of ornamental language or cover it layer upon layer with
elaborations as the layers of an onion are about a central core,
but could say nothing else of value. Still, as many books have been
written on the subject by master minds, and as I have those books on
my shelves, I shall give you in the paragraph that follows, some idea
of what stylists have to say, and, that being done, shall copy for you
certain passages from books not very popular and therefore hard to get
at, so that for yourself you may see the extraordinary differences in
style.
Take Schopenhauer’s view. It is to be found in his _Parerga_.
“Every mediocre writer tries to mask his own natural style.... If
they would go honestly to work, and say, quite simply, the things
they have really thought, and just as they have thought them, these
writers would be readable and, within their own proper sphere, even
instructive.
“But instead of this they try to make the reader believe that their
thoughts have gone much further and deeper than is really the case.
They say what they have to say in long sentences that wind about in
a forced and unnatural way; they coin new words and write prolix
periods which go round and round in the thought and wrap it up in
a sort of disguise. They tremble between the two separate aims of
communicating what they want to say and of concealing it. Their
object is to dress it up so that it may look learned and deep, in
order to give people the impression that there is very much more than
for the moment meets the eye.” And again: “The first rule for good
style is that the author should have something to say.”
The English novelist, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, in a lecture delivered
at the University of Cambridge, has this to say: “As technically
manifested in literature it (style) is the power to touch with ease,
grace, precision, any note in the gamut of human thought or emotion.”
Next take the Frenchman, Comte de Buffon. It was he who said: “The
style is the man himself.” I think you will understand and enjoy the
passage that follows:
“But when he has made a plan, when once he has brought together and
put in order all the thoughts essential to his subject, he will see
easily the instant when he ought to take up his pen, he will feel
with certainty that his mind is ready to bring forth, he will be
pressed to give birth to his ideas, and will find only pleasure in
writing; his ideas will succeed each other easily, and the style will
be natural and ready; the warmth born of this pleasure will diffuse
itself everywhere and give life to each expression; the animation
will become higher and higher; the tone will become exalted; objects
will take on color; and feeling blended with intellect will increase
the warm glow, will carry it farther, will make it pass from that
which one says to that which one is about to say, and the style will
become interesting and luminous.”