This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 69-4958 REECER, George Clay, 1934- THE PROSE STYLE OF CHARLES LAMB. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1968 Language and Literature, modern University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan
REECER, George Clay, 1934- THE PROSE STYLE OF CHARLES LAMB
Mar 27, 2023
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
/efeeds/prod/acq_images/20130619/FILMSCAN_JLH/6904958_1/00001.tifREECER, George Clay, 1934- THE PROSE STYLE OF CHARLES LAMB.
The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1968 Language and Literature, modern
University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan
THE PROSE STYLE OP Oi ARIES LAMB
DISSERTATION
P r e s e n t e d I n P a r t i a l F u l f i l l m e n t o f t h e R e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t h e D eg ree D o c t o r o f f t i i l o s o p h y
i n t h e G r a d u a te S c h o o l o f The Ohio S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y
By
George C l a y R e e c e r , A .B . , M.A,
# -a- * -a -a
The Ohio S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y 1968
Approved by
(i . A d v i s e r
D e p a r tm e n t o f E n g l i s h
F e b r u a r y 1 8 ,
1956 . . . .
1961 . . . •
M a jo r F i e l d :
W ordsw orth
S t u d i e s i n Logan
S t u d i e s i n B io h a r d
VITA
1934 Born - G lasgow , K e n tu c k y
• • A . B . , W e s te rn K e n tu c k y S t a t e C o l l e g e
. • T e a c h in g A s s i s t a n t , D e p a r t meat o f E n g l i s h , Temple U n i v e r s i t y , P h i l a d e l p h i a , P e n n s y l v a n i a
• . M .A . , Temple U n i v e r s i t y
• • I n s t r u c t o r , Temple U n i v e r s i t y
• • M ershon N a t i o n a l G r a d u a te F e l l o w s h i p , The Ohio S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , Columbus, Ohio
• • I n s t r u c t o r , A m er ican I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o l l e g e , S p r i n g f i e l d , M a s s a c h u s e t t s
FIELDS OF STUDY
E n g l i e h
P r o f e s s o r Jam es V. Logan
B o m a n t i c P o e t r y a n d P o e t i c s . P r o f e s s o r Jam es V.
N i n e t e e n t h C e n tu r y L i t e r a t u r e . P r o f e s s o r D. A l t i o k
i i
2*6®
INTRODUCTION........................................ . ....................................... 1
C h a p t e r I . D I C T I O N ........................................................................... 13
I I . SYNTAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
IV. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE.............................................. 141
V I. EPISTOLARY INFLUENCE............................................... 224
BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................... 251
i l l
I n t r o d u c t i o n
I
W ha teve r th e v a r i a t i o n s i n C h a r l e s Lamb’ s p o p u l a r i t y
among r e a d e r s i n g e n e r a l , s c h o l a r l y i n t e r e s t I n him and h i s
w r i t i n g s h a s rem a ined f a i r l y c o n s t a n t . The m ost i m p o r t a n t
ch a n g e t o be found i n t h e r e c e n t books and a r t i c l e s on Lamb
I s one o f e m p h a s i s : f rom th e man h i m s e l f t o h i s w r i t i n g s I n
p r o s e . R e a d e rs have n e v e r t o t a l l y i g n o r e d t h e q u a l i t i e s o f
h i s p r o s e s t y l e , end in d e e d some o f t h e e a r l i e s t comments
upon h i s s t y l e e r e among t h e m o s t p e r c e p t i v e o f a l l : t h o s e
o f H a z l i t t c e r t a i n l y e r e . But u n t i l f a i r l y r e c e n t l y t h e r e
h a s b e e n a t e n d e n c y t o a v o id a n y t h i n g r e s e m b l i n g d e t a i l e d
a n a l y s i s o f h i s e s s a y s and o t h e r p r o s e w r i t i n g s . S t u a r t
Tave h a s sum m arized t h i s t e n d e n c y a s f o l l o w s :
The r e f u s a l t o c r i t i c i z e i s a m a jo r t r a d i t i o n I n t h e l i t e r a t u r e a b o u t Lamb. The b e s t known e x p r e s s i o n o f I t , t h e one most o f t e n q u o te d i n j u s t i f i c a t i o n , I s S w i n b u r n e ' s ( M i s c e l l a n i e s . 1 8 8 6 ) : "Wo good c r i t i c i s m o f Lamb, s t r i c t l y s p e a k i n g , ca n e v e r be w r i t t e n ; b e c a u s e nobody c a n do j u s t i c e t o h i s work who d o es n o t l o v e I t t o o w e l l t o f e e l h i m s e l f c a p a b l e o f g i v i n g Judg ment on i t . " And so l o v e r e n d e r s I m p o t e n t . C l o s e l y r e l a t e d i s t h e t r a d i t i o n o f Lamb a s t h e sh ad e o f C r e u s a , e l u d i n g t h e t o u c h , d a i n t y g o s sam er d e f y i n g t h e a n a l y t i c a l g r a s p ; he i s a b s o r b e d , r a t h e r , a s an o d o r o r f l a v o r . S c h o l a r s h i p i t s e l f I s h e s i t a n t t o i d e n t i f y Lamb’ s l i t e r a r y a l l u s i o n s , l e s t " t h e d i s s o l v i n g p r o c e s s o f a n a l y s i s " d e s t r o y t h e charm o f t h e e s s a y s . !
1
2
I t i s p e r h a p s a l l t o o e a s y t o d i s p a r a g e t h e t r a d i t i o n d e s
c r i b e d b y T ave , and b e f o r e r e j e c t i n g S w i n b u r n e ' s comment a l
t o g e t h e r one s h o u l d a s k w h e th e r t h e m os t d e t a i l e d a n a l y s i s
ewer d o e s " j u s t i c e ” t o works o f an y s u b t l e t y . M o reo v e r ,
s c h o l a r s h i p h a s n o t b e e n e n t i r e l y n e g l i g e n t i n i d e n t i f y i n g
Lamb's a l l u s i o n s , os K. V. L u c a s ' e d i t i o n o f t h e works shows.
But T a v e ' s comments h av e a w ide v a l i d i t y , and h i s e n c o u r a g e
ment o f a d i f f e r e n t a t t i t u d e i s no d o u b t p a r t l y r e s p o n s i b l e
f o r t h e c l o s e r a t t e n t i o n now b e i n g g i v e n t o Lamb's p r o s e .
R e c e n t s t u d i e s o f Lamb's p r o s e hove r e s u l t e d i n a num
b e r o f new c o n c l u s i o n s , o r a t l e a s t m o d i f i c a t i o n s o f t r a d i
t i o n a l v i e w s . Of t h e s e , t h r e e seem e s p e c i a l l y i m p o r t a n t i n
an a t t e m p t t o u n d e r s t a n d h i s p r o s e s t y l e . F i r s t , i n p l a c e of
t h e p r e d o m i n a n t l y g e n t l e , w h i m s i c a l Lamb, who " a c c e p t e d
l i f e ' s l i t t l e p l e a s u r e s a s t h e y a p p e a r e d and d i d n o t h e s i t a t e
t o make ' c u l t s ' o f t h e ones t h a t a p p e a r e d m ost a p p e a l i n g ,
s c h o l a r s such as E r n e s t Bernbaum and B e r t r a m J e s s u p have em
p h a s i z e d t h e t o u g h n e s s o f h i s m in d , i t s t e n d e n c y to w a rd r e
a l i s m and s k e p t i c i s m . 3 T hese q u a l i t i e s , h o w e v e r , a r e some
t im e s a t t r i b u t e d o n l y t o t h e man h i m s e l f , t o h i s t h o u g h t as
d i s t i n c t f rom h l a a c t u a l p u b l i s h e d w r i t i n g s ; and b e c a u s e
t h e y a r e q u a l i t i e s which p r o v i d e a welcome a n t i d o t e t o t h e
supposed " e s c a p i s t ” q u a l i t i e s o f t h e e s s a y s , many r e a d e r s
p r e f e r t h e l e t t e r s , where t h e s k e p t i c i s m i s q u i t e e v i d e n t .
But n o t o n l y d o e s t h i s t e n d e n c y a p p e a r a l s o I n t h e e s s a y s ,
t h e v e r y fo rm of t h e e s s a y as Lamb a d a p te d I t e n t a i l s an
a l m o s t c o n s i s t e n t l y q u e s t i o n i n g o r s k e p t i c a l p o i n t o f v iew .
Not o n ly t h e announced t h e s i s , when t h e r e i s o n e , b u t t h e
v e r y e l e m e n t s o f s t y l e a r e t h o s e o f a w r i t e r whose p u r p o s e
i s t o go a g a i n s t t h e g r a i n o f o r t h o d o x o p i n i o n .
The s eco n d r e s u l t o f r e c e n t s t u d i e s o f Lamb’ s p r o s e i s
t h a t i t s i n d e b t e d n e s s t o t h e c o n v e n t i o n s o f h i s own t im e i s
now b e t t e r u n d e r s t o o d . The o l d e r v ie w i s p e r h a p s b e s t e x
p r e s s e d b y L u c a s :
. . . H a z l i t t was i n t h e d i r e c t l i n e f r o e L ry d e n , A d d iso n , S t e e l e , G o ld s m i th ; Lamb was an I n d i v i d u a l s p o r t . H a z l i t t w r o t e t h e p r o s e o f h i s…
The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1968 Language and Literature, modern
University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan
THE PROSE STYLE OP Oi ARIES LAMB
DISSERTATION
P r e s e n t e d I n P a r t i a l F u l f i l l m e n t o f t h e R e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t h e D eg ree D o c t o r o f f t i i l o s o p h y
i n t h e G r a d u a te S c h o o l o f The Ohio S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y
By
George C l a y R e e c e r , A .B . , M.A,
# -a- * -a -a
The Ohio S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y 1968
Approved by
(i . A d v i s e r
D e p a r tm e n t o f E n g l i s h
F e b r u a r y 1 8 ,
1956 . . . .
1961 . . . •
M a jo r F i e l d :
W ordsw orth
S t u d i e s i n Logan
S t u d i e s i n B io h a r d
VITA
1934 Born - G lasgow , K e n tu c k y
• • A . B . , W e s te rn K e n tu c k y S t a t e C o l l e g e
. • T e a c h in g A s s i s t a n t , D e p a r t meat o f E n g l i s h , Temple U n i v e r s i t y , P h i l a d e l p h i a , P e n n s y l v a n i a
• . M .A . , Temple U n i v e r s i t y
• • I n s t r u c t o r , Temple U n i v e r s i t y
• • M ershon N a t i o n a l G r a d u a te F e l l o w s h i p , The Ohio S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , Columbus, Ohio
• • I n s t r u c t o r , A m er ican I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o l l e g e , S p r i n g f i e l d , M a s s a c h u s e t t s
FIELDS OF STUDY
E n g l i e h
P r o f e s s o r Jam es V. Logan
B o m a n t i c P o e t r y a n d P o e t i c s . P r o f e s s o r Jam es V.
N i n e t e e n t h C e n tu r y L i t e r a t u r e . P r o f e s s o r D. A l t i o k
i i
2*6®
INTRODUCTION........................................ . ....................................... 1
C h a p t e r I . D I C T I O N ........................................................................... 13
I I . SYNTAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
IV. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE.............................................. 141
V I. EPISTOLARY INFLUENCE............................................... 224
BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................... 251
i l l
I n t r o d u c t i o n
I
W ha teve r th e v a r i a t i o n s i n C h a r l e s Lamb’ s p o p u l a r i t y
among r e a d e r s i n g e n e r a l , s c h o l a r l y i n t e r e s t I n him and h i s
w r i t i n g s h a s rem a ined f a i r l y c o n s t a n t . The m ost i m p o r t a n t
ch a n g e t o be found i n t h e r e c e n t books and a r t i c l e s on Lamb
I s one o f e m p h a s i s : f rom th e man h i m s e l f t o h i s w r i t i n g s I n
p r o s e . R e a d e rs have n e v e r t o t a l l y i g n o r e d t h e q u a l i t i e s o f
h i s p r o s e s t y l e , end in d e e d some o f t h e e a r l i e s t comments
upon h i s s t y l e e r e among t h e m o s t p e r c e p t i v e o f a l l : t h o s e
o f H a z l i t t c e r t a i n l y e r e . But u n t i l f a i r l y r e c e n t l y t h e r e
h a s b e e n a t e n d e n c y t o a v o id a n y t h i n g r e s e m b l i n g d e t a i l e d
a n a l y s i s o f h i s e s s a y s and o t h e r p r o s e w r i t i n g s . S t u a r t
Tave h a s sum m arized t h i s t e n d e n c y a s f o l l o w s :
The r e f u s a l t o c r i t i c i z e i s a m a jo r t r a d i t i o n I n t h e l i t e r a t u r e a b o u t Lamb. The b e s t known e x p r e s s i o n o f I t , t h e one most o f t e n q u o te d i n j u s t i f i c a t i o n , I s S w i n b u r n e ' s ( M i s c e l l a n i e s . 1 8 8 6 ) : "Wo good c r i t i c i s m o f Lamb, s t r i c t l y s p e a k i n g , ca n e v e r be w r i t t e n ; b e c a u s e nobody c a n do j u s t i c e t o h i s work who d o es n o t l o v e I t t o o w e l l t o f e e l h i m s e l f c a p a b l e o f g i v i n g Judg ment on i t . " And so l o v e r e n d e r s I m p o t e n t . C l o s e l y r e l a t e d i s t h e t r a d i t i o n o f Lamb a s t h e sh ad e o f C r e u s a , e l u d i n g t h e t o u c h , d a i n t y g o s sam er d e f y i n g t h e a n a l y t i c a l g r a s p ; he i s a b s o r b e d , r a t h e r , a s an o d o r o r f l a v o r . S c h o l a r s h i p i t s e l f I s h e s i t a n t t o i d e n t i f y Lamb’ s l i t e r a r y a l l u s i o n s , l e s t " t h e d i s s o l v i n g p r o c e s s o f a n a l y s i s " d e s t r o y t h e charm o f t h e e s s a y s . !
1
2
I t i s p e r h a p s a l l t o o e a s y t o d i s p a r a g e t h e t r a d i t i o n d e s
c r i b e d b y T ave , and b e f o r e r e j e c t i n g S w i n b u r n e ' s comment a l
t o g e t h e r one s h o u l d a s k w h e th e r t h e m os t d e t a i l e d a n a l y s i s
ewer d o e s " j u s t i c e ” t o works o f an y s u b t l e t y . M o reo v e r ,
s c h o l a r s h i p h a s n o t b e e n e n t i r e l y n e g l i g e n t i n i d e n t i f y i n g
Lamb's a l l u s i o n s , os K. V. L u c a s ' e d i t i o n o f t h e works shows.
But T a v e ' s comments h av e a w ide v a l i d i t y , and h i s e n c o u r a g e
ment o f a d i f f e r e n t a t t i t u d e i s no d o u b t p a r t l y r e s p o n s i b l e
f o r t h e c l o s e r a t t e n t i o n now b e i n g g i v e n t o Lamb's p r o s e .
R e c e n t s t u d i e s o f Lamb's p r o s e hove r e s u l t e d i n a num
b e r o f new c o n c l u s i o n s , o r a t l e a s t m o d i f i c a t i o n s o f t r a d i
t i o n a l v i e w s . Of t h e s e , t h r e e seem e s p e c i a l l y i m p o r t a n t i n
an a t t e m p t t o u n d e r s t a n d h i s p r o s e s t y l e . F i r s t , i n p l a c e of
t h e p r e d o m i n a n t l y g e n t l e , w h i m s i c a l Lamb, who " a c c e p t e d
l i f e ' s l i t t l e p l e a s u r e s a s t h e y a p p e a r e d and d i d n o t h e s i t a t e
t o make ' c u l t s ' o f t h e ones t h a t a p p e a r e d m ost a p p e a l i n g ,
s c h o l a r s such as E r n e s t Bernbaum and B e r t r a m J e s s u p have em
p h a s i z e d t h e t o u g h n e s s o f h i s m in d , i t s t e n d e n c y to w a rd r e
a l i s m and s k e p t i c i s m . 3 T hese q u a l i t i e s , h o w e v e r , a r e some
t im e s a t t r i b u t e d o n l y t o t h e man h i m s e l f , t o h i s t h o u g h t as
d i s t i n c t f rom h l a a c t u a l p u b l i s h e d w r i t i n g s ; and b e c a u s e
t h e y a r e q u a l i t i e s which p r o v i d e a welcome a n t i d o t e t o t h e
supposed " e s c a p i s t ” q u a l i t i e s o f t h e e s s a y s , many r e a d e r s
p r e f e r t h e l e t t e r s , where t h e s k e p t i c i s m i s q u i t e e v i d e n t .
But n o t o n l y d o e s t h i s t e n d e n c y a p p e a r a l s o I n t h e e s s a y s ,
t h e v e r y fo rm of t h e e s s a y as Lamb a d a p te d I t e n t a i l s an
a l m o s t c o n s i s t e n t l y q u e s t i o n i n g o r s k e p t i c a l p o i n t o f v iew .
Not o n ly t h e announced t h e s i s , when t h e r e i s o n e , b u t t h e
v e r y e l e m e n t s o f s t y l e a r e t h o s e o f a w r i t e r whose p u r p o s e
i s t o go a g a i n s t t h e g r a i n o f o r t h o d o x o p i n i o n .
The s eco n d r e s u l t o f r e c e n t s t u d i e s o f Lamb’ s p r o s e i s
t h a t i t s i n d e b t e d n e s s t o t h e c o n v e n t i o n s o f h i s own t im e i s
now b e t t e r u n d e r s t o o d . The o l d e r v ie w i s p e r h a p s b e s t e x
p r e s s e d b y L u c a s :
. . . H a z l i t t was i n t h e d i r e c t l i n e f r o e L ry d e n , A d d iso n , S t e e l e , G o ld s m i th ; Lamb was an I n d i v i d u a l s p o r t . H a z l i t t w r o t e t h e p r o s e o f h i s…
Related Documents
