ADDISON`S STYLE OF WRITING

“Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison.” ( Samuel Johnson)

The spirit of this Revolution, as far as relates to taste and manners, may best be divined by contrasting the English society of the period with the contemporary society of France. The art of conversation, developed by feminine genius, was carried in France to the height of perfection. It is the supreme distinction of Addison, as the chief founder of English essay-writing, to have created in England a school of literary taste which has raised our language almost to a level with the French in elegance and precision.

Joseph Addison wrote in almost every genre flourishing in British literature. He wrote elaborately on religion, politics, death, woman and other contemporary issues. Myres, in this connection, says- “It is necessary to study the work of Joseph Addison in close relation to the time in which he lived, for he was a true child of his century…..” Addison adopted the ‘middle style’. It was associated with the graceful rhythm. Whatever influence the example of French elegance may insensibly have exercised on his mind, the standard of expression he adopted was as entirely the reflection of his own nature, as the Tatlers and Spectators were the product of the peculiar conditions of English life.

Addison was a great critic. In the Spectator he appears as a judicious critic of manners and morals of the society. The main aim of the spectator was to reform the society, and it was Addison`s task: “to enliven morality with wit; and to temper wit with morality”. Clearness and lucidity of expression is the most striking feature of Addison’s style. Even, a very long sentence can express clear ideas at the very first sight or reading. For example,

“sometimes he will be lengthening out a verse in the singing psalms, half a minute after the rest of the congregation have done with it;…………. and sometimes stands up when everybody else is upon their knees, to count the congregation, or see if any of his tenants are missing.’’ (Sir Roger at Church)

Felicitous choice of vocabulary and a combination of words mark his prose style. The illustration of his easy mastery over language is very apt in his essay “Meditations in the Abbey.” Here we find his clarity and the happy selection of his words. He writes:

    “Upon this I began to consider with myself what innumerable multitudes of people lay confused together under the pavement of that ancient Cathedral, low beauty, strength, and youth, with old age, weakness and deformity lag undistinguished in the same promiscuous heap of matter.”

Addison was religious-minded. Naturally his essay was reflected with that ideology –“I am always very well pleased with a country Sunday, and think, if keeping holy the seventh day were only a human institution, it would be the best method that could have been thought of for  the polishing and civilizing of mankind.” (Sir Roger at Church).

Addison is also very expert, when situation demands, in using short sentences-“As soon as the sermon is finished, no body presumes to stir till Sir Roger is gone out of the Church “(Sir Roger at Church). One of the striking qualities of his style in essays is his humor, which becomes in effect a fine irony. The “Female Orator” is a masterpiece of his humor.

Addison’s style is not highly figurative. Fanciful similes and metaphors are not found in his writings. Rather, when he thinks that his use of figurative language would be more useful and effective, only then he uses them. Such as:

                        “and his coachman has the looks of a privy –councilor”   (Sir Roger at Home).

There was another quality of style through which Addison made his appeal. While Steele effected the technique of warmness, Addison was busy polishing his words, phrases, and clauses so as to achieve a certain beauty of style. Steele made little, if any, effort to effect the style of Addison. “Elegance is the ruling quality of Addison`s style….” “It was his principle endeavor to avoid all harshness and severity of diction.” In fact, most of the prose of Milton, Bacon and Lamb demands simplified version and explanation. On the other hand, Addison himself is a simplified version.

In the pleasant art of living with one`s fellows, Addison is easily a master. Swift is the storm, roaring against the ice and frost of the late spring of English life. Addison is the sunshine, which melts the ice and dries the mud and makes the earth thrill with light and hope. Hugh Walker has rightly observed that “Few English writers have revealed themselves more accurately and exactly in their writings than Addison.”