A History of English Literature | Page 5

remembered that
in such writing as Comedy and Romance the strict rules of motivation
must be relaxed, and indeed in all literature, even in Tragedy, the
idealization, condensation, and heightening which are the proper
methods of Art require them to be slightly modified.
DESCRIPTIVE POWER. Usually secondary in appearance but of vital
artistic importance, is the author's power of description, of picturing
both the appearance of his characters and the scenes which make his
background and help to give the tone of his work. Perhaps four subjects
of description may be distinguished: 1. External Nature. Here such
questions as the following are of varying importance, according to the
character and purpose of the work: Does the author know and care for
Nature and frequently introduce descriptions? Are the descriptions
concrete and accurate, or on the other hand purposely general
(impressionistic) or carelessly superficial? Do they give fine variations
of appearance and impression, such as delicate shiftings of light and
shade and delicate tones of color? Are they powerfully sensuous, that is
do they appeal strongly to the physical senses, of sight (color, light, and
movement), sound (including music), smell, taste, touch, and general
physical sensation? How great is their variety? Do they deal with many
parts of Nature, for example the sea, mountains, plains, forests, and
clouds? Is the love of external beauty a passion with the author? What
is the author's attitude toward Nature--(1) does he view Nature in a
purely objective way, as a mass of material things, a series of material
phenomena or a mere embodiment of sensuous beauty; or (2) is there

symbolism or mysticism in his attitude, that is--does he view Nature
with awe as a spiritual power; or (3) is he thoroughly subjective,
reading his own moods into Nature or using Nature chiefly for the
expression of his moods? Or again, does the author describe with
merely expository purpose, to make the background of his work clear?
2. Individual Persons and Human Life: Is the author skilful in
descriptions of personal appearance and dress? Does he produce his
impressions by full enumeration of details, or by emphasis on
prominent or characteristic details? How often and how fully does he
describe scenes of human activity (such as a street scene, a social
gathering, a procession on the march)? 3. How frequent and how vivid
are his descriptions of the inanimate background of human
life--buildings, interiors of rooms, and the rest? 4. Does the author
skilfully use description to create the general atmosphere in which he
wishes to invest his work--an atmosphere of cheerfulness, of mystery,
of activity, or any of a hundred other moods?
STYLE. Style in general means 'manner of writing.' In the broad sense
it includes everything pertaining to the author's spirit and point of
view--almost everything which is here being discussed. More narrowly
considered, as 'external style,' it designates the author's use of language.
Questions to be asked in regard to external style are such as these: Is it
good or bad, careful or careless, clear and easy or confused and
difficult; simple or complex; terse and forceful (perhaps colloquial) or
involved and stately; eloquent, balanced, rhythmical; vigorous, or
musical, languid, delicate and decorative; varied or monotonous; plain
or figurative; poor or rich in connotation and poetic suggestiveness;
beautiful, or only clear and strong? Are the sentences mostly long or
short; periodic or loose; mostly of one type, such as the declarative, or
with frequent introduction of such other forms as the question and the
exclamation?
POETRY. Most of what has thus far been said applies to both Prose
and Poetry. But in Poetry, as the literature especially characterized in
general by high Emotion, Imagination, and Beauty, finer and more
delicate effects are to be sought than in Prose. Poetry, generally
speaking, is the expression of the deeper nature; it belongs peculiarly to

the realm of the spirit. On the side of poetical expression such
imaginative figures of speech as metaphors and similes, and such
devices as alliteration, prove especially helpful. It may be asked further
of poetry, whether the meter and stanza structure are appropriate to the
mood and thought and so handled as to bring out the emotion
effectively; and whether the sound is adapted to the sense (for example,
musical where the idea is of peace or quiet beauty). If the sound of the
words actually imitates the sound of the thing indicated, the effect is
called Onomatopoeia. Among kinds of poetry, according to form, the
most important are: (1) Narrative, which includes many subordinate
forms, such as the Epic. (2) Lyric. Lyric poems are expressions of
spontaneous emotion and are necessarily short. (3) Dramatic, including
not merely the drama but all poetry of vigorous action. (4) Descriptive,
like Goldsmith's 'Deserted Village' and Tennyson's 'Dream of Fair
Women.' Minor kinds are: