LITERATURE
IS NOT A MERE SCIENCE, TO BE STUDIED; BUT AN ART TO BE PRACTISED
Outline:
1.
Meaning of literature.
2.
Writing an art; its medium words.
3.
Its object, communication; its method
the handling of words.
4.
The choice of words.
5.
The arrangement of words.
The word “literature; means,
literally, letters; and we use the word “letters” itself in the sense of
“literature” in the phrase, “a man of letters”. Literature is written word. But
all that is written or printed is not literature; for the name of “literature”
is given only to memorable thought finely and nobly expressed in words. It is
good style that makes a piece of writing literature. In the sentence quoted
above as the title, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch uses the word “literature” in the
sense of writing. He tells that good literature is to be studied, but also that
is to be practiced as an art. That is, that we, if we have any gift of writing,
should try to express our thoughts finely in words. We may, make literature.
Writing is an art; and just because
it is an art, it has to be learnt. Every art has its own medium of expression,
and its own rules. The sculptor works in stone and metal; the painter in line
and colour; the musician in pure sound; and the writer in words. And, as those
other artists must learn, and sedulously practice, their arts before they can
adequately express themselves in statues, pictures and music, so must they
would be maker of literature, the writer.
We want to communicate our thoughts
to the minds of others; and we can do it only by means of words. So we have to
learn how to use words in such a way as to convey our meaning to others
clearly, simply, directly, briefly and vigorously. From this point of view,
style in writing is nothing but the skilful handling of words. As Cardinal
Newman said, “Style is thinking out into words”.
Good prose may be described as “the
right words in the right order”, for the handling of words, in writing consists
of the right choice of words, and the right arrangement of words. Choice
implies thought and care something deliberate. A careful writer will choose his
words, and will not be content till he finds the one word that will accurately
and clearly express his thought. Once secret of clear writing is clear
thinking; the other secret is the careful choice of the words that will best
express the thought. For the formation of a direct, simple, brief, vigorous and
lucid style, these rules should be followed; Prefer the familiar word to the
far-fetched; prefer the concrete word to the abstract; prefer the single word
to the circumlocution; prefer the short word to the long.
To
arrange right words; we should prefer short sentence to the long; prefer the
simple construction to the elaborate; prefer the direct construction to the
roundabout. To follow these rules is not easy, and it calls for much practice;
for “the apparently simplest form of construction is by far the most
difficult”.