style-第3章

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he　meaning　must　be　tossed　from　expression　to　expression；　mutilated　and　deceived；　ere　it　can　find　rest　in　words。　　The　stupid　accidental　recurrence　of　a　single　broad　vowel；　the　cumbrous　repetition　of　a　particle；　the　emphatic　phrase　for　which　no　emphatic　place　can　be　found　without　disorganising　the　structure　of　the　period；　the　pert　intrusion　on　a　solemn　thought　of　a　flight　of　short　syllables；　twittering　like　a　flock　of　sparrows；　or　that　vicious　trick　of　sentences　whereby　each；　unmindful　of　its　position　and　duties；　tends　to　imitate　the　deformities　of　its　predecessor；　…　these　are　a　select　few　of　the　difficulties　that　the　nature　of　language　and　of　man　conspire　to　put　upon　the　writer。　　He　is　well　served　by　his　mind　and　ear　if　he　can　win　past　all　such　traps　and　ambuscades；　robbed　of　only　a　little　of　his　treasure；　indemnified　by　the　careless　generosity　of　his　spoilers；　and　still　singing。

Besides　their　chime　in　the　ear；　and　the　images　that　they　put　before　the　mind's　eye；　words　have；　for　their　last　and　greatest　possession；　a　meaning。　　They　carry　messages　and　suggestions　that；　in　the　effect　wrought；　elude　all　the　senses　equally。　　For　the　sake　of　this；　their　prime　office；　the　rest　is　many　times　forgotten　or　scorned；　the　tune　is　disordered　and　havoc　played　with　the　lineaments　of　the　picture；　because　without　these　the　word　can　still　do　its　business。　　The　refutation　of　those　critics　who；　in　their　analysis　of　the　power　of　literature；　make　much　of　music　and　picture；　is　contained　in　the　most　moving　passages　that　have　found　utterance　from　man。　　Consider　the　intensity　of　a　saying　like　that　of　St。　Paul：…　〃For　I　am　persuaded；　that　neither　death；　nor　life；　nor　angels；　nor　principalities；　nor　powers；　nor　things　present；　nor　things　to　come；　nor　height；　nor　depth；　nor　any　other　creature；　shall　be　able　to　separate　us　from　the　love　of　God；　which　is　in　Christ　Jesus　our　Lord。〃

Do　these　verses　draw　their　power　from　a　skilful　arrangement　of　vowel　and　consonant？　　But　they　are　quoted　from　a　translation；　and　can　be　translated　otherwise；　well　or　ill　or　indifferently；　without　losing　more　than　a　little　of　their　virtue。　　Do　they　impress　the　eye　by　opening　before　it　a　prospect　of　vast　extent；　peopled　by　vague　shapes？　　On　the　contrary；　the　visual　embodiment　of　the　ideas　suggested　kills　the　sense　of　the　passage；　by　lowering　the　cope　of　the　starry　heavens　to　the　measure　of　a　poplar…tree。　　Death　and　life；　height　and　depth；　are　conceived　by　the　apostle；　and　creation　thrown　in　like　a　trinket；　only　that　they　may　lend　emphasis　to　the　denial　that　is　the　soul　of　his　purpose。　　Other　arts　can　affirm；　or　seem　to　affirm；　with　all　due　wealth　of　circumstance　and　detail；　they　can　heighten　their　affirmation　by　the　modesty　of　reserve；　the　surprises　of　a　studied　brevity；　and　the　erasure　of　all　impertinence；　literature　alone　can　deny；　and　honour　the　denial　with　the　last　resources　of　a　power　that　has　the　universe　for　its　treasury。　　It　is　this　negative　capability　of　words；　their　privative　force；　whereby　they　can　impress　the　minds　with　a　sense　of　〃vacuity；　darkness；　solitude；　and　silence；〃　that　Burke　celebrates　in　the　fine　treatise　of　his　younger　days。　　In　such　a　phrase　as　〃the　angel　of　the　Lord〃　language　mocks　the　positive　rivalry　of　the　pictorial　art；　which　can　offer　only　the　poor　pretence　of　an　equivalent　in　a　young　man　painted　with　wings。　　But　the　difference　between　the　two　arts　is　even　better　marked　in　the　matter　of　negative　suggestion；　it　is　instanced　by　Burke　from　the　noble　passage　where　Virgil　describes　the　descent　of　AEneas　and　the　Sibyl　to　the　shades　of　the　nether　world。　　Here　are　amassed　all　〃the　images　of　a　tremendous　dignity〃　that　the　poet　could　forge　from　the　sublime　of　denial。　　The　two　most　famous　lines　are　a　procession　of　negatives：…


Ibant　obscuri　sola　sub　nocte　per　umbram；　Perque　domos　Ditis　vacuas　et　inania　regna。


Through　hollow　kingdoms；　emptied　of　the　day；　And　dim；　deserted　courts　where　Dis　bears　sway；　Night…foundered；　and　uncertain　of　the　path；　Darkling　they　took　their　solitary　way。


Here　is　the　secret　of　some　of　the　cardinal　effects　of　literature；　strong　epithets　like　〃lonely；〃　〃supreme；〃　〃invisible；〃　〃eternal；〃　〃inexorable；〃　with　the　substantives　that　belong　to　them；　borrow　their　force　from　the　vastness　of　what　they　deny。　　And　not　these　alone；　but　many　other　words；　less　indebted　to　logic　for　the　magnificence　of　reach　that　it　can　lend；　bring　before　the　mind　no　picture；　but　a　dim　emotional　framework。　　Such　words　as　〃ominous；〃　〃fantastic；〃　〃attenuated；〃　〃bewildered；〃　〃justification；〃　are　atmospheric　rather　than　pictorial；　they　infect　the　soul　with　the　passion…laden　air　that　rises　from　humanity。　　It　is　precisely　in　his　dealings　with　words　like　these；　〃heated　originally　by　the　breath　of　others；〃　that　a　poet's　fine　sense　and　knowledge　most　avail　him。　The　company　a　word　has　kept；　its　history；　faculties；　and　predilections；　endear　or　discommend　it　to　his　instinct。　　How　hardly　will　poetry　consent　to　employ　such　words　as　〃congratulation〃　or　〃philanthropist；〃　…　words　of　good　origin；　but　tainted　by　long　immersion　in　fraudulent　rejoicings　and　pallid；　comfortable；　theoretic　loves。　　How　eagerly　will　the　poetic　imagination　seize　on　a　word　like　〃control；〃　which　gives　scope　by　its　very　vagueness；　and　is　fettered　by　no　partiality　of　association。　　All　words；　the　weak　and　the　strong；　the　definite　and　the　vague；　have　their　offices　to　perform　in　language；　but　the　loftiest　purposes　of　poetry　are　seldom　served　by　those　explicit　hard　words　which；　like　tiresome　explanatory　persons；　say　all　that　they　mean。　　Only　in　the　focus　and　centre　of　man's　knowledge　is　there　place　for　the　hammer…blows　of　affirmation；　the　rest　is　a　flickering　world　of　hints　and　half…　lights；　echoes　and　suggestions；　to　be　come　at　in　the　dusk　or　not　at　all。

The　combination　of　these　powers　in　words；　of　song　and　image　and　meaning；　has　given　us　the　supreme　passages　of　our　romantic　poetry。　In　Shakespeare's　work；　especially；　the　union　of　vivid　definite　presentment　with　immense　reach　of　metaphysical　suggestion　seems　to　intertwine　the　roots　of　the　universe　with　the　particular　fact；　tempting　the　mind　to　explore　that　other　side　of　the　idea　presented　to　it；　the　side　turned　away　from　it；　and　held　by　something　behind。


It　will　have　blood；　they　say　blood　win　have　blood：　Stones　have　been　known　to　move　and　trees　to　speak；　Augurs　and　understood　relations　have　By　maggot…pies　and　choughs　and　rooks　brought　forth　The　secret'st　man　of　blood。


This　meeting　of　concrete　and　abstract；　of　sense　and　thought；　keeps　the　eye　travelling　along　the　utmost　skyline　of　speculation；　where　the　heavens　are　interfused　with　the　earth。　　In　short；　the　third　and　greatest　virtue　of　words　is　no　other　than　the　virtue　that　belongs　to　the　weapons　of　thought；　…　a　deep；　wide；　questioning　thought　that　discovers　analogies　and　pierces　behind　things　to　a　half…perceived　unity　of　law　and　essence。　　In　the　employ　of　keen　insight；　high　feeling；　and　deep　thinking；　language　comes　by　its　own；　the　prettinesses　that　may　be　imposed　on　a　passive　material　are　as　nothing　to　the　splendour　and　grace　that　transfigure　even　the　meanest　instrument　when　it　is　wielded　by　the　energy　of　thinking　purpose。　　The　contempt　that　is　cast；　by　the　vulgar　phrase；　on　〃mere　words〃　bears　witness　to　the　rarity　of　this　serious　consummation。　Yet　by　words　the　world　was　shaped　out　of　chaos；　by　words　the　Christian　religion　was　established　among　mankind。　　Are　these　terrific　engines　fit　play…things　for　the　idle　humours　of　a　sick　child？

And　now　it　begins　to　be　apparent　that　no　adequate　description　of　the　art　of　language　can　be　drawn　from　the　technical　terminology　of　the　other　arts；　which；　like　proud　debtors；　would　gladly　pledge　their　substance　to　repay　an　obligation　that　they　cannot　disclaim。　Let　one　more　attempt　to　supply　literature　with　a　parallel　be　quoted　from　the　works　of　a　writer　on　style；　whose　high　merit　it　is　that　he　never　loses　sight；　either　in　theory　or　in　practice；　of　the　fundamental　conditions　proper　to　the　craft　of　letters。　　Robert　Louis　Stevenson；　pondering　words　long　and　lovingly；　was　impressed　by　their　crabbed　individuality；　and　sought　to　elucidate　the　laws　of　their　arrangement　by　a　reference　to　the　principles　of　architecture。　〃The　sister　arts；〃　he　says；　〃enjoy　the　use　of　a　plastic　an