Practical English Composition Part 10

The book, too, is rich in humor. Among other delightful things we read of a will which, like almost every other will, gave as much disappointment as pleasure; of a child of three who possesses the usual charms of that age, an imperfect articulation, an earnest desire of having his own way, many cunning tricks, and a great deal of noise; of apricot marmalade applied successfully as a remedy for a bruised temple; of a company who met to eat, drink, and laugh together, to play at cards or consequences, or any other game that was sufficiently noisy; of a husband who is always making remarks which his wife considers so droll but cannot remember; of Constantia wine, which is equally good for colicky gout and broken hearts; of a face of strong natural sterling insignificance; of a girl who was pleased that a man had called and still more pleased that she had missed him; of a woman of few words, for, unlike people in general, she proportioned them to the number of her ideas; of a newspaper item that interested n.o.body except those who knew its contents before; and of a man who was perfectly the gentleman in his behavior to guests and only occasionally rude to his wife and mother-in-law.

It is true that the two heroes are not very heroic, Edward Ferrars being only a curate and Col. Brandon a poor old man of 36 with a flannel waistcoat; but the latter is pretty thoroughly the gentleman and the former gives up a fortune of 30,000 pounds in order to marry a girl whom he does not love, thereby furnis.h.i.+ng, if not an example of good sense, at least an agreeable contrast to Marianne's lover, Willoughby, who marries a girl whom he does not love in order to get the money which he is too genteel to earn.

On the whole, it is a wonderful book to have been written by a girl of twenty-one.[4]

[4] Reprinted, by permission of The Macmillan Company, from the introduction of _Sense and Sensibility_, edited by Edwin L. Miller.

III. Notes, Queries, and Exercises

1. Among the important functions of a newspaper is the task of announcing the appearance of new books, describing their contents, and commenting on their merits. The style of such notices should, above everything else, be clear. Most of them are unfortunately disfigured by a jargon which repels readers instead of inducing them to peruse the books reviewed.

2. What information should the heading of a book notice furnish?

3. Model I is an excellent example of what a review in a single paragraph should be. The first sentence bridges the intellectual and geographical s.p.a.ce between the United States and Argentina, between the reader and the subject, which is just what an introduction should do. The second sentence describes the country in general terms, ending in a clause that leads directly to the most striking single fact about Argentina, its importance as an agricultural country. The three sentences that follow give concrete facts in support of this clause. The final sentence drives home the point stated in the first.

4. Discuss the meaning and etymology of "dissipate," "Rio Grande,"

"annually," "approximate," "exports," "enterprise."

5. Point out one restrictive and one non-restrictive clause.

6. Describe orally the location and character of the Rio Grande, Mexico, the Panama Ca.n.a.l, the Atlantic, the Andes, the Tropic of Capricorn, the British, and the Straits of Magellan.

7. What figure of speech have we in the phrase, "the Amazing Argentine?"

8. In Model II we have an ill.u.s.tration of a biographical review in three paragraphs. It presents a vivid picture of Cecil Rhodes in spite of the fact that it is not well organized. Try the experiment of rewriting it according to this plan: Par. I--Introduction, or Bridge; Par. II--Rhodes's Services to Mankind; Par. III--Rhodes's Faults; Par. IV--Rhodes's Private Life.

9. Find in the model an example of alliteration and an example of ant.i.thesis.

10. Explain the allusions in "Clive," "Julius Caesar," "buccaneer,"

"Jameson Raid," "Kruger," "Boer War," and "Oxford."

11. Define "financier," "nefarious," "politician," "notorious,"

"ambition," and "omnivorous." From what language do these words come?

12. a.n.a.lyze Model III as I and II have already been a.n.a.lyzed for you.

13. Find in III an ant.i.thesis and an alliteration.

14. Which of the books do you wish most to read? Why?

15. Do these models observe the law of presenting concrete rather than abstract statements?

16. Make a list of the books you have read, putting in one column the books of travel, into another the biographies, and into a third the novels.

17. Choose one of these as the subject of a review which you are to write.

IV. Oral Composition

In preparing for this observe the following points:

(a) Remember that your main purpose is to persuade others to read the book.

(b) In your first paragraph make a bridge from the minds of your audience to the book.

(c) In the body of your review describe concretely the one most interesting feature of the work.

(d) In your last paragraph restate the idea of the first but do it in some other form.

V. Written Composition

Concentrate your attention on perfection of sentence structure.

VI. Suggested Time Schedule

_Week I_ _Week II_

_Monday_ --Dictation Oral Composition.

_Tuesday_ --Dictation. Oral Composition.

_Wednesday_--Notes, Queries, Exercises. Written Composition.

_Thursday_ --Notes, Queries, Exercises. Revision.

_Friday_ --Speaking. Program.

VII. Suggested Reading

1. Macaulay's _Frederic the Great_, _Clive_, and _Hastings_.

2. Mark Twain's _Roughing It_.

3. Scott's _Ivanhoe_.

VIII. Memorize

GUILIELMUS REX

The folk who lived in Shakespeare's day And saw that gentle figure pa.s.s By London Bridge, his frequent way-- They little knew what man he was.

The pointed beard, the courteous mien, The equal port to high and low, All this they saw or might have seen-- But not the light behind the brow!

The doublet's modest gray or brown, The slender sword-hilt's plain device, What sign had these for prince or clown?

Few turned, or none, to scan him twice.

Yet 'twas the king of England's kings!

The rest with all their pomps and trains Are mouldered, half-remembered things-- 'Tis he alone that lives and reigns!

THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH.