On the Art of Writing · Chapter
Lecture VI: On the Capital Difficulty of Prose explained
The lecturer argues that the capital difficulty of prose lies in handling high emotional moments, which are more naturally the province of verse.
What happens
The lecturer argues that the capital difficulty of prose lies in handling high emotional moments, which are more naturally the province of verse. He warns against classifying literature as a science, emphasizing that art resists precise categorization. He traces the development of English prose from Malory through the Authorised Version of the Bible, showing how the Bible's rhythms permeate English style. He criticizes Elizabethan prose as clotted and immature, contrasting it with the simplicity of Malory and the miracle of the Authorised Version. He also discusses the influence of Latin and Italian on English poetry and prose, and warns against pedantic classifications.
Themes in this chapter
Precision and Clarity
The lecturer warns against classifying literature as a science, arguing that art resists precise categorization, and emphasizes the need for clarity in prose.
Literary Lineage and Tradition
The chapter traces the development of English prose from Malory through the Authorised Version, showing how the Bible's rhythms permeate later writers like Milton, Browne, and Johnson.
Verse vs. Prose
The lecturer contrasts the capital difficulty of verse (saying ordinary things) with that of prose (saying extraordinary things), and explores how prose writers handle high emotional moments.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The lecturer, guiding the audience through the difficulty of prose and warning against scientific classification of literature.
- Malory
Cited as an early prose writer whose work exemplifies simple melodious clarity, contrasted with later Elizabethan prose.
- Shakespeare
Mentioned as an Elizabethan who wrote his most famous plays after Elizabeth's death, and as the author of Sonnet 116, illustrating the use of Latin words in poetry.
- Izaak Walton
Cited as a simple man whose lips were touched by the rhythms of the Authorised Version.
- Milton
Mentioned as a scholar who practiced the rolling Latin sentence but fell back on the rhythms of the Bible.
- Sir Thomas Browne
Cited as a scholar whose prose reflects the influence of the Bible's rhythms.
Key passages
“In studying literature, and still more in studying to write it, distrust all classification!”
When you study literature, and especially when you learn to write it, you should be suspicious of any attempt to categorize it.
The lecturer warns against treating literature as a science by classifying it.
“The capital difficulty of prose consists in saying extraordinary things, in running it up from its proper level to these high emotional, musical, moments.”
The main challenge of prose is to express extraordinary, emotional, and musical ideas, elevating it from its ordinary level.
This is the central thesis of the lecture, contrasting prose's difficulty with that of verse.
“The Authorised Version, setting a seal on all, set a seal on our national style, thinking and speaking.”
The King James Bible established a definitive influence on the English style of thinking and speaking.
The lecturer emphasizes the Bible's role in shaping English prose.