autobiography and selected essays-第5节

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visible；　it　stands　forth　with　the　parts　all　nicely　related　and

compactly　joined。　　In　reference　to　structure；　his　son　and

biographer　writes；　〃He　loved　to　visualize　his　object　clearly。　　The

framework　of　what　he　wished　to　say　would　always　be　drawn　out

first。〃　　Professor　Ray　Lankester　also　mentions　Huxley's　love　of

form。　　〃He　deals　with　form　not　only　as　a　mechanical　engineer　IN

PARTIBUS　（Huxley's　own　description　of　himself）；　but　also　as　an

artist；　a　born　lover　of　form；　a　character　which　others　recognize　in

him　though　he　does　not　himself　set　it　down　in　his　analysis。〃

Huxley's　own　account　of　his　efforts　to　shape　his　work　is

suggestive。　　〃The　fact　is　that　I　have　a　great　love　and　respect　for

my　native　tongue；　and　take　great　pains　to　use　it　properly。

Sometimes　I　write　essays　half…a…dozen　times　before　I　can　get　them

into　proper　shape；　and　I　believe　I　become　more　fastidious　as　I　grow

older。〃　　And；　indeed；　there　is　a　marked　difference　in　firmness　of

structure　between　the　earlier　essays；　such　as　On　the　Educational

Value　of　the　Natural　History　Sciences；　written；　as　Huxley

acknowledges；　in　great　haste；　and　the　later　essays；　such　as　A

Liberal　Education　and　The　Method　of　Scientific　Investigation。　　To

trace　and　to　define　this　difference　will　be　most　helpful　to　the

student　who　is　building　up　a　knowledge　of　structure　for　his　own

use。



According　to　Huxley's　biographer　in　the　Life　and　Letters　of　Thomas

Henry　Huxley；　the　essays　which　represent　him　at　his　best　are　those

published　in　1868。　　They　are　A　Piece　of　Chalk；　A　Liberal　Education；

and　On　the　Physical　Basis　of　Life。　　In　connection　with　the　comment

on　these　essays　is　the　following　quotation　which　gives　one

interesting　information　as　to　Huxley's　method　of　obtaining　a　clear

style：





This　lecture　on　A　Piece　of　Chalk　together　with　two　others　delivered

this　year；　seems　to　me　to　mark　the　maturing　of　his　style　into　that

mastery　of　clear　expression　for　which　he　deliberately　labored；　the

saying　exactly　what　he　meant；　neither　too　much　nor　too　little；

without　confusion　and　without　obscurity。　　Have　something　to　say；

and　say　it；　was　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　theory　of　style；　Huxley's

was　to　say　that　which　has　to　be　said　in　such　language　that　you　can

stand　cross…examination　on　each　word。　　Be　clear；　though　you　may　be

convicted　of　error。　　If　you　are　clearly　wrong；　you　will　run　up

against　a　fact　sometime　and　get　set　right。　　If　you　shuffle　with

your　subject；　and　study　chiefly　to　use　language　which　will　give　a

loophole　of　escape　either　way；　there　is　no　hope　for　you。



This　was　the　secret　of　his　lucidity。　　In　no　one　could　Buffon's

aphorism　on　style　find　a　better　illustration；　Le　style　c'est

l'homme　meme。　　In　him　science　and　literature；　too　often　divorced；

were　closely　united；　and　literature　owes　him　a　debt　for　importing

into　it　so　much　of　the　highest　scientific　habit　of　mind；　for

showing　that　truthfulness　need　not　be　bald；　and　that　real　power

lies　more　in　exact　accuracy　than　in　luxuriance　of　diction。





Huxley's　own　theory　as　to　how　clearness　is　to　be　obtained　gets　at

the　root　of　the　matter。　　〃For　my　part；　I　venture　to　doubt　the

wisdom　of　attempting　to　mould　one's　style　by　any　other　process　than

that　of　striving　after　the　clear　and　forcible　expression　of

definite　conceptions；　in　which　process　the　Glassian　precept；　first

catch　your　definite　conception；　is　probably　the　most　difficult　to

obey。〃



Perfect　clearness；　above　every　other　quality　of　style；　certainly　is

characteristic　of　Huxley；　but　clearness　alone　does　not　make

subject…matter　literature。　　In　addition　to　this　quality；　Huxley's

writing　wins　the　reader　by　the　racy　diction；　the　homely

illustration；　the　plain；　honest　phrasing。　　All　these　and　other

qualities　bring　one　into　an　intimate　relationship　with　his　subject。

A　man　of　vast　technical　learning；　he　is　still　so　interested　in　the

relation　of　his　facts　to　the　problems　of　men　that　he　is　always　able

to　infuse　life　into　the　driest　of　subjects；　in　other　words；　to

HUMANIZE　his　knowledge；　and　in　the　estimation　of　Matthew　Arnold；

this　is　the　true　work　of　the　scholar；　the　highest　mission　of　style。





III



SUGGESTED　STUDIES　IN　SUBJECT…MATTER；　STRUCTURE；　AND　STYLE





Although　fully　realizing　that　the　questions　here　given　are　only

such　as　are　generally　used　everywhere　by　instructors　in　English；

the　editor　has；　nevertheless；　included　them　with　the　hope　that　some

one　may　find　them　helpful。



The　studies　given　include　a　few　general　questions　and　suggestions

on　subject…matter；　structure；　and　style。　　The　questions　on

structure　are　based　on　an　analysis　of　the　whole　composition　and　of

the　paragraph；　those　on　style　are　based　on　a　study　of　sentences　and

words。　　Such　a　division　of　material　may　seem　unwarranted；　for；　it

may　be　urged；　firmness　of　structure　depends；　to　a　certain　extent；

upon　sentence…form　and　words；　and　clearness　of　style；　to　a　large

extent；　upon　the　form　of　the　paragraph　and　whole　composition。　　The

two；　certainly；　cannot　be　in　justice　separated；　and　especially　is

it　true；　more　deeply　true　than　the　average　student　can　be　brought

to　believe；　that　structure；　〃MIND；　in　style〃　as　Pater　phrases　it；

primarily　determines　not　only　clearness；　but　also　such　qualities　of

style　as　reserve；　refinement；　and　simple　Doric　beauty。　　Since；

however；　structure　is　more　obviously　associated　with　the　larger

groups；　and　style　with　the　smaller；　the　questions　have　been

arranged　according　to　this　division。





I。　Suggestions　for　the　Study　of　Subject…Matter。





1。　To　whom　does　Huxley　address　the　essay？



2。　Can　you　see　any　adaptation　of　his　material　to　his　audience？



3。　How　would　A　Piece　of　Chalk　be　differently　presented　if　given

before　a　science　club？



4。　Does　Huxley　make　his　subject　interesting？　　If　so；　how　does　he

accomplish　this？



5。　Is　the　personality　of　Huxley　suggested　by　the　essays？　　See　Life

and　Letters；　vol。　ii；　p。　293。





II。　Suggestions　for　the　Study　of　Structure。





A。　Analysis　of　the　whole　composition。



1。　State　in　one　complete　sentence　the　theme　of　the　essay。



2。　Analyze　the　essay　for　the　logical　development　of　the　thought。



a。　Questions　on　the　Introduction。

　　　In　the　introduction；　how　does　the　author　approach　his　material？

　　　Does　he　give　the　main　points　of　the　essay？

　　　Does　he　give　his　reasons　for　writing？

　　　Does　he　narrow　his　subject　to　one　point　of　view？

　　　Is　the　introduction　a　digression？



b。　Questions　on　the　Body。

　　　Can　you　find　large　groups　of　thought？

　　　Are　these　groups　closely　related　to　the　theme　and　to　each　other？

　　　Do　you　find　any　digressions？

　　　Is　the　method　used　in　developing　the　groups　inductive　or　deductive？

　　　Is　the　method　different　in　different　groups？

　　　Are　the　groups　arranged　for　good　emphasis　in　the　whole　composition？



c。　Questions　on　the　Conclusion。

　　　How　does　the　author　conclude　the　essay？

　　　Does　the　conclusion　sum　up　the　points　of　the　essay？

　　　Are　any　new　points　suggested？

　　　Is　the　thought　of　the　whole　essay　stated？

　　　Do　you　consider　it　a　strong　conclusion？



3。　Make　out　an　outline　which　shall　picture　the　skeleton　of　the

essay　studied。　　In　making　the　outline　express　the　topics　in　the

form　of　complete　statements；　phrase　the　thought　for　clear　sequence；

and　be　careful　about　such　matters　as　spacing　and　punctuation。



B。　Analysis　of　paragraph　structure。



1。　Can　a　paragraph　be　analyzed　in　the　same　manner　as　the　whole

composition？



2。　Can　you　express　the　thought　of　each　paragraph　in　a　complete

sentence？



3。　Can　you　find　different　points　presented　in　the　paragraph

developing　the　paragraph　topic；　as　the　large　groups　of　the　whole

composition　develop　the　theme？



4。　Are　the　paragraphs　closely　related；　and　how　are　they　bound

together？



5。　Can　any　of　the　paragraphs　be　combined　to　advantage？



6。　Read　from　Barrett　Wendell's　English　Composition　the　chapter　on

paragraphs。　　Are　Huxley's　paragraphs　constructed　in　accordance　with

the　principles　given　in　this　chapter？



7。　Is　the　paragraph　type　varied？　　For　paragraph　types；　see　Scott

and　Denny's　Paragraph　Writing。



C。　Comparative　study　of　the　structure　of　the　essay。



1。　Do　you　find　any　difference　between　Huxley's　earlier　and　later

essays　as　regards　the　structure　of　the　whole；　or　the　structure　of

the　paragraph？



2。　Which　essay　seems　to　you　to　be　most　successful　in　structure？



3。　Has　the　character　of　the　audience　any　influence　upon　the

structure　of　the　essays？



4。　Compare　the　structure　of　one　of　Huxley's　essays　with　that　of

some　other　essay　recently　studied。



5。　Has　the　nature　of　the　material　any　influence　upon　the　structure

of　the　essay？





III。　Suggestions　for　the　Study　of　Style。





A。　Exactly　what　do　you　mean　by　style？



B。　Questions　on　sentence　structure。



1。　From　any　given　essay；　group　together　sentences　which　are　long；

short；　loose；　periodic；　balanced；　simple；　compound；　note　those

pe