Page:The Journal of English and Germanic Philology Volume 18.djvu/29

 Creek 23 PHILOSOPHIES OF STYLE The need of a sound theory of literature and criticism is shown by numerous attempts in recent years to state principles which may be applied in the consideration of literature, particularly contem- porary literature. These attempts have revealed striking differences and a tendency toward the formation of schools of thought, so that we may look for vigorous controversy for a long time to come. In this controversy the problem of style will be important, and it seems worth while to consider a few of its aspects, with some reference to the larger problem of which it is a part. There are many philosophies of style at least, many persons have different views of what style means views perhaps not always to be dignified as philosophies. Three of these may be regarded as sufficiently inclusive to represent the main possibilities. First, there is that striking and positive essay of Herbert Spencer's boldly entitled "The Philosophy of Style. " It presents an obviously scientific theory which depends immediately upon its author's evolutionary philosophy. Literature is an instrument of communication, and upon effective communication any successful life of the race depends. Now effectiveness means, primarily, that the fund of human energy is not wasted, that the means of com- munication shall have no more than its share of this energy. There- fore, Spencer concludes that "economy of the recipient's attention ... is ... the secret of effect, alike in the choice and col- location of words, in the best arrangement of clauses in a sentence, in the proper order of its principal and subordinate propositions, in the judicious use of simile, metaphor, and other figures of speech, and even in the rhythmical sequence of syllables. " Why is Saxon English more forcible than Latin English? Because of early asso- ciation, since "a child's vocabulary is almost wholly Saxon," which means a very strong association of words and ideas for the adult. "But in what does a strong association between a word and an idea differ from a weak one? Simply in the greater ease and rapid- ity of the suggestive action. It can be in nothing else. Both of two words, if they be strictly synonymous, eventually call up the