endings of sentences, in pretty much the same way, and to the tacking on of clause after clause to sentences that are already complete, the clauses being tacked on by means of numberless "ands," "buts," "yets," and the like. b. Periodic Sentences. A periodic sentence is what a loose sentence is not, that is, a sentence in which the meaning and grammatical structure are not complete at any point before the end; as, "Three hours of leisure, unannoyed by any alien anxiety, and looked forward to with delight as a change and recreation, will suffice to realize in literature a larger product of what is truly genial, than weeks of compulsion" (COLERIDGE). The peculiar merit of the periodic sentence is that it suspends the meaning until the thought expressed in the sentence is complete, thus stimulating the reader's mind to greater attention. Where the subject-matter is worthy of the additional attention the reader is thus induced to give it, this device adds weight and dignity to one's writing, but where the subject-matter is trivial, the suspension of the meaning results in a pomposity that serves only to reflect the self-conceit of the writer. Even where the matter is worthy of the impressiveness that the periodic sentence gives it, if the thought is anywise obscure, or if the tension of anticipation is kept up too long, the strain on the reader's attention becomes too great, and the ideas in the first part of the sentence are forgotten before the ideas in the last part, which are to complete the thought, are reached. The best writers use the two kinds of sentences to gether, varying the structure of each. A few periodic sentences will give a greater coherence to a paragraph than one might think. It is a rather surprising fact that the authors who are noted for their periodic style use fewer periodic sentences than loose. This is probably due to the fact that they construct even their loose sentences in such a way as to give the greatest possible coherence, and to the fact also that many of their loose sentences produce the effect of the periodic sentence. Thus, the following sentence produces such an effect because the portion after the semicolon is periodic in structure: "Unfortunately, we have no record of the intercourse between Shakespeare and Burbage; but there can be little doubt that between the dramatist, who was himself an actor, and the actor who gave life to the greatest creations of his imagination, and who, probably, amazed no less than delighted the great master by the vividness and power of his impersonations, there must have existed a close friendship" (HENRY IRVING). The next sentence also, although strictly loose, is periodic in effect: "I may here add that the censure said to have been directed against Betterton for the introduction of scenery is the prototype of that cry, which we hear so often nowadays, against overelaboration in the arrangements of the stage" (HENRY IRVING). Many similar examples might be quoted. To the young writer the foregoing facts teach this lesson: If you wish to have coherence in your writing, and coherence is the life-blood of good writing, use periodic sentences to some extent, and give to many of your loose sentences a partially periodic structure. Remember also the effect that can be produced by each kind of sentence, and if you find yourself inclined to use the loose sentence too much or too carelessly, as is quite likely to be the case, practise the use of the periodic sentence until you can and do use it frequently and with ease. Exercise 47 1. Examine Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address (Exercise 25), and tell which sentences are loose, and which are periodic. Show where, in the loose sentences, the meaning and grammatical structure are complete before the end of the sentence. Show how, in the periodic sentences, the thought is suspended until the end of the sentence is reached; that is, point out all words, phrases, clauses, and all grammatical constructions of every sort, which, by requiring some thought to follow, suspend the meaning of the sentence. 2. Ascertain, by reviewing a sufficient number of the paragraphs you have written recently, whether you are in the habit of using the loose sentence too frequently or too carelessly. If you are, make a list of twenty of the most carelessly written loose sentences, and change them to periodic sentences. Here are some devices for suspending thought, which will help you in the work of rewriting loose sentences: In general, place the qualifying parts before the parts qualified.1 The leading examples of such qualifying parts are:— 66 (1) Conditional clauses introduced by "if," "though," "however," 'supposing that," "on condition that," "on the understanding that," and the like; as, If you would know the value of money, go, try to borrow some! (2) Subordinate clauses introduced by " when," "wherever," Where you know nothing, place terrors. 99 66 where," "while," (3) Clauses of reason introduced by "because," "for," "on account 1 Most of the suggestions here given are adapted from Bain's English Composition and Rhetoric (enlarged edition), vol. i. of," "by reason of," "as," "since," "seeing that," "inasmuch as," "considering that "; as, Since you will not save, you will not have wealth. (4) Participial phrases; as, Being weary they fell asleep. (5) Adverbial phrases; as, With all thy getting, get understanding. The following couples aid in suspending thought: "Both ... and"; "either . . . or"; "neither .. nor"; "not... but"; "not only ... ... that, which"; SO but"; "such "sufficient than"; "rather He speaks so clearly as to be always understood. Articles, comparatives, transitive verbs, phrases and clauses beginning with relative pronouns, etc., help to suspend thought. 3. On one of the following subjects write a paragraph, paying no attention whatever during actual composition to the kind of sentences you are using.1 When you have finished the first draft, reconstruct your sentences, making them mainly loose or mainly periodic, or combining the two forms, according to the effect you wish to produce. And be sure to have some definite effect in mind, which it is worth while to try to produce; if you can think of none, talk the matter over with your instructor: 1. When the circus comes to town. 2. A true bear story. (Perhaps one that your father has told you.) 3. What may happen in the next ten years. (Great inventions, etc.) 4. An old-fashioned school. (Get your mother or father to tell you about the schools they went to.) 1 See the note to the last part of Exercise 46. 5. A wild animal I have known. 6. A "just-so" story. (See Kipling's works.) 7. What a living glacier is. 8. The electrical eel. 9. Should representatives in Congress vote according to their own convictions or as their constituents desire? 10. How to train for a five-mile run. 11. Lyddite shells. SECTION 37 Balanced and Parallel Structures Sentences may have the balanced or the parallel structure. There is some difference between the two. In the balanced structure two clauses dealing with ideas that are meant to be compared or contrasted are so constructed as to seem to be of equal weight. In the parallel structure, phrases, clauses, or sentences are made similar in length and grammatical construction in order to emphasize a parallelism of meaning. Thus, in the sentences that follow, sentence 1 is an example of the balanced structure, sentence 2 is an example of the parallel structure of phrases, sentence 3 is an example of the parallel structure of clauses, and sentences 4 are an example of the parallel structure of sentences. 1. You cannot have a landscape by Turner, without a country for him to paint; you cannot have a portrait by Titian, without a man to be portrayed (RUSKIN). 2. The great need in modern culture, which is scientific in method, rationalistic in spirit, and utilitarian in purpose, is to find some effective agency for cherishing within us the ideal (JOHN MORLEY). 3. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man (BACON). 4. We charge him [Charles I of England] with having broken his coronation oath; and we are told that he kept his marriage vow! |