NRY: "A Municipal Report."

CHAPTER XII

THE FACTOR OF STYLE

Structure and Style--Style a Matter of Feeling--Style an
Absolute Quality--The Twofold Appeal of Language--Concrete
Examples--Onomatopoetic Words--Memorable Words--The Patterning
of Syllables--Stevenson on Style--The Pattern of Rhythm--The
Pattern of Literation--Style a Fine Art--Style an Important
Aid to Fiction--The Heresy of the Accidental--Style an Intuitive
Quality--Methods and Materials--Content and Form--The Fusion
of Both Elements--The Author's Personality--Recapitulation.

=Structure and Style.=--The element of style, which has just been
touched upon in reference to the short-story, must now be considered
in its broader aspect as a factor of fiction in general. Hitherto, in
examining the methods of fiction, we have confined our attention for
the most part to the study of structural expedients. The reason is
that structure, being a matter merely of the intellect, can be
analyzed clearly and expounded definitely. Like any other intellectual
subject--geometry, for instance--structure may be taught. But style,
although it is in fiction a factor scarcely less important, is not a
matter merely of the intellect. It is not so easily permissible of
clear analysis and definite exposition; and although it is true that,
in a certain sense, it may be learned, it is also true that it cannot
be taught.

=Style a Matter of Feeling.=--The word "style" comes trippingly to the
tongue of every critic; but it has never yet been satisfactorily
defined. Famous phrases have been made about it, to be sure; but most
of these, like that corrupted from Buffon's cursory remark in his
discourse of reception into the Academy--"_Le style est de l'homme
meme_,"--are lofty admissions of the impossibility of definition. By
this fact we are fortified in our opinion that style is a matter of
feeling rather than of intellect. Avoiding, therefore, as unwise any
attempt at definition, we may yet succeed in clarifying our ideas
regarding style if we circle round the subject.

=Style an Absolute Quality.=--At the outset, in order to narrow the
compass of the circle, let us admit that the familiar phrase "bad
style" is a contradiction of terms. Basically, there is no such thing
as good style or bad. Either a literary utterance is made with style,
or else it is made without it. This initial distinction is absolute,
not relative. It must, however, be admitted tha