Writing style of Francis
Bacon
Introduction: Bacon’s fame as a writer depends most of all on the fact that
he is the father of modern English prose. He evolved a prose style that proved
for the first time that English could also be used to express the subtleties of
thought, in clear and uninvolved sentences.
The critics have noticed that there is a marked difference
between Bacon’s earlier and later essays. Macaulay, contrasting extracts from
of Studies (1597) and Of Adversity (1625) illustrates what he calls the two
styles of Bacon.
It is true that there is
a vast difference between the styles of Bacon. But it is rather questionable
whether this difference could be attributed to the fact that Bacon had gained a
maturity of mind and intellect. Bacon wrote in more than one style. The
stately movement of The Advancement of Learning and Of
Adversity has been achieved in 1605 itself. Does that mean that
Bacon had achieved maturity of mind and imagination in eight years? This is not
convincing. The explanation lies in the fact that Bacon’s very conception of
the essay underwent a change. Bacon described his essays as “Dispersed
Meditations”. The first collection of essays is fully illustrative of Bacon’s
definition of the essay as dispersed meditations set down significantly rather
than curiously. The original idea was to make the essays into a sort of diary
in which significant observations on various topics of practical importance.
His essays were jotted down in a terse and pithy and concise language. His
first essays were a mere skeleton of thought, grouped around central themes
with suitable titles. There was no attempt polishing the style or clothing the
statements with literary beauty or imaginative grace. When, however, Bacon saw
that his essays had gained an unexpected popularity, he thought that it was
worth while polishing them and making them richer. These essays are very brief
in length. The ideas have not been developed. The sentences are all crisp,
short and sententious. Each sentence stands by itself. There is so much of
condensation that each sentence can easily be expanded into a paragraph. That
is to say that one single sentence does the job of a paragraph.
Essays not quite dispersed meditations: It would,
however, be a mistake to call all the essays of Bacon “Dispersed Meditations”.
There are some which have received at his hand, a rather detailed treatment and
which cannot be termed as “Sketchy”. In these essays, Bacon finds room for
conjunctions and connective clauses. Ideas are not left underdeveloped and
transitions from one thought to another are not so abrupt. In Of
Friendship, there is a logical approach in the enumeration of the principle
fruits of friendship. Each advantage is properly handled and ideas are
developed smoothly. There is not that abrupt transition of thought that
characterized some of Bacon’s other essays. Of Empire can be said to contain
almost exhaustive treatment of the dangers that beset a king in those days.
In Of Seditions and Troubles, there is a quite closely
reasoned and connected account of the causes and remedies of discontentment and
agitation that may fester and burst out into trouble for the country.
Aphoristic sentences are found in these essays too, but attention has been
given to other factors as well.
Aphoristic style of Bacon: An aphoristic style means a compact, condensed
and epigrammatic style of writing. Bacon’s writing has been admired for various
reasons. Some have admired them for dazzling rhetoric, others his grace. In
Bacon we find a style which is distinct and at the same time characteristic of
his age. His style includes various qualities. Firstly, he remains the
best aphoristic, so he stands the most quotable writer. There is terseness of
expression and epigrammatic brevity, in the essays of Bacon. His sentences are
brief and rapid, but they are also forceful. As Dean Church says, “They come
down like the strokes of a hammer.” The force of aphoristic style depends
on other stylistic qualities which supplement it. He weighs the pros and cons
of a statement and immediately counter-balances it. (Give examples from
the above the extracts).
A Rhetorician: Bacon’s style is definitely rhetorical. In
this connection, Sainsbury has remarked that no one, “knows better than —-
(Bacon) how to leave a single word to produce all its effects by using it in
some slightly uncommon sense. He has great powers of attracting and persuading
his readers even though he may not convince them. In prose rhetoric, in the
use, that is to say, of language to dazzle and persuade, not to convince. He
has few rivals and no superiors in English.” There is a constant use
of imagery and analogy in Bacon’s essays. The apt and extensive use of
metaphors, images, similitude's and analogies is in keeping with the view
of the rhetoricians of the ancient as well as of the Renaissance. Bacon draws his
imagery from the familiar objects o nature, or from the facts of everyday
life.
His Allusions and Quotations: The essay bear witness to
Bacon’s learned mind in the extensive use of quotations and allusions drawn
from various sources, classical fables, the Bible, History, the ancient Greek
and the Roman writers. Of Truth includes Pilate, Lucian and
Montaigne, In Of Great Place; we have Tacitus, Galba and Vespasian,
and Of Friendship includes reference to Aristotle. Thus Bacon
employs allusions to and quotations in order to explain his point. They serve
to make his style more scholarly and enrich it while lending to his ideas.
Though, his style is heavy with learning, yet it is more flexible than any of
his predecessors and contemporaries. His sentences are short and with this
shortness come lucidity of expression. Thus he shows mastery of the principles
of prose. There almost no humors in Bacon’s essays, but his essays are packed
with astounding wit.
Conclusion: The writing style of Bacon is not the personal and chatty style
of the subjective essayist like Montaigne and Lamb. It is dignified and
aphoristic style. He was indeed a consummate artist who polished and chiseled
his expressions and who could change his style to suit to his subject.
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