(1) Beate Wackwitz, “Die theorie des Prosastils im England des 18. Jahrhunderts“, Cram, de Gruyter & Co. 1962; “The demands that Johnson places on the skills of the author are still the same as in ancient times. In the first place he mentions 'a perfect knowledge of th subject'. The clear ways of thinking in the classic prose only made these preconditions even more pronounced in their style requirements. Mastery of material and clarity of style cannot be separated - the second demand, 'that he be master of the language', is not new either. Johnson, the lexicographer, sees the need very carefully to create the conditions for perfect command of the language by defining the terms and expressing language in the dictionary. - According to the language of the style: for 'science and demonstration' Johnson demands 'a style clear, pure, nervous, and expression'. If the reader's opinion is to be influenced, the following is also required: 'The super addition of elegance and imagery, to display the colors of varied diction and put forth the music of modulated periods.' // Every carrier can judge his ability for himself, because of how much effort he has put into certifying his knowledge, mastering the language and developing a style appropriate to the subject, 'Mo man is a rhetorician or philosopher by chance'. Even genius does not fall into the lap, and what has been written down without care, is usually only listlessly gleefully. So that Johnson's train of thought comes close to the ideal of correctness, against the author, can promote still education, is clear for him: 'The first task is to search books, the next to contemplate nature' [Rambler]. // Knowledge of the best authors, which all other style critics also demand for the writer, is - together with constant comparison of their advantages and examination of the factual content in their works - inevitable for Johnson, because style formation is also essential with the development of the taste at the author must be connected. Just as taste can only be attained through practice and comparison, so too are his allies developed through tireless self-discipline and practice. Boswell emphasizes on several occasions how much this thought permeates Johnson.
(2) Passim: The second pre-condition ['contemplate nature'] is not surprising either. At Johnson she is consistently assigned more space and importance. as otherwise common, although the concept of nature was dealt with in detail in the 18th century. For Johnson, nature is the origin of all art; under it one has the double concept of nature as reality and thus the object of literature, as we understand it as a criterion for every creation of literature. / In the first case [nature as reality] Johnson subordinates this concept to the concept of a rational principle that is visible in it. It is the 'general order' that permeates everything and allows it to be explained logically. Furthermore, history also belongs to this, namely as a representation of two forms of reality; and above all the moral laws as an expression of the divine ruling reason. - In the second case [nature as a critic of literary creation], Johnson demands from the author that his representation of nature must be 'just', and not only in the area of the sensually perceptible, but also for intellectual treatise and moral consideration. The dictionary definition of 'just' is 'exact, proper, accurate'. It is significant that the old stylistic concepts of propriety and precision are echoed in the concept of the representation of nature. /
(3) Passim: To the extent that the author is supposed to convey 'instruction', he must allow both aspects of the concept of nature to be expressed in his cleverness: both nature as a 'mirror of life' and the organic, natural style of expression that is just as much a systematic order must be aligned like the laws of 'general nature'. Johnson subsumes the concept of taste and style in art under the higher ideals of nature. Rambler 152 demands 'embroidery conformity to nature', because only she can make a literary production 'beautiful and just'. / If an author fulfills these three conditions [mastery of subject, mastery of language, mastery of silence by observing 'natural' laws, he can do his job with a clear conscience, 'to instruct ignorance, reclaim error, and reform vice'. [Gentleman’s Magazine, 1739] // This task is outlined in more detail in Rambler 3: 'The task of an author is, either to teach what is not known, to recommend known truths by his manner of adoring them; either to let new light in upon their mind and to open new scenes to the prospect, so to vary the dress and situation of common objects, so as to give the fresh grace and more powerful attraction '."
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(4) Beate Wackwitz, “Die theorie des Prosastils im England des 18. Jahrhunderts“, Cram, de Gruyter & Co. 1962; “As important as the knowledge of the figures of speech is, Blair does not want to put the main emphasis on it in the style here; the content of 'sentiment or passion' is more important than the form of the introduction. The author must study the effects of natural figurative language and derive a methodology from it: the rules found in this way then have an adverse effect on style. Anyone who only brings with them learned basic knowledge for their style practice can neither give a shine to an uninspiring thought through figurative language, nor express sublime thoughts without wrong work. / Correctly used, correct figure language lends beauty in style for four reasons: 1. The language is enriched by fine, relational images; / 2. the style is raised where everyday words appear too flat; / 3. The mind is stimulated because, without the idea of a hatred, an object of comparison is offered to it without confusing it; / 4. The double form of the expression aims to better illustrate the intended object ['to throw light upon it'] // Blair wants to avoid listing the individual figures of speech in the manner of scholastic rhetoric; He briefly explains the origin of the most important metaphor in a detailed presentation in Lecture XV .. / The metaphor - also for Blair a short form of simile and a longer comparison - is intended to stimulate the spirit without tiring it. Without having to deal with the problem of when to use them as a figure of thought or as a trope, Blair characterizes them as 'Expression of resemblance between tow objects' and puts together rules for their application: (5) Passim: 1. Metaphors must be appropriate to the topic in terms of celibacy, emotional expression and level of language. Enlightening metaphors [perspicuity] are availed for argumentation; In divorces, the metaphor is admitted as a form of jewelry [embellishment]. However, it always has to be 'simple'. / 2. Metaphors have to be borrowed from nature: sensual perceptions take the place of intellectual or moralistic concepts. Unpleasant, vulgar allusions are frowned upon, even where an object should be belittled. / 3. Metaphors must not be far-fetched, otherwise confuse them. [This is followed by the usual rejection of the Metaphysical poet, the metaphors of which are somewhat consistent.] Although they are supposed to shed new light on thoughts, they must not sound like being shy: 'Metaphor ... loses is whole grace, when it does not seem natural and easy'. That is why all sasu science-borrowed metaphors are 'faulty' because of their limited comprehensibility. / 4. Metaphorical expressions, which are used in their own ['literal'] meaning, must never be mixed. / 5. An object may not be explained with different kinds of metaphors ['Mixed metaphor… is indeed one of the largest abuses of this figure']. Blair recommends visualizing the metaphors used to avoid mistakes. / 6. The overloading of an object with inherently adequate metaphors is also flawed. / 7. Metaphors that have been carried out too long become allegory; the bolder they are carried out, the more difficult it is for the reader to follow the meaning ['the reader is dazzled rather than enlightened']. // (6) Passim: Each rule is followed by examples from ancient and contemporary literature. Lecture XVI deals with the more pronounced changes in the simple mode of expression, as given in hyperboles, personification and apostrophe. / The hyperbole arises from the human tendency to show something bigger than it is naturally. An ultimate society, whose world of ideas is shaped by the ideal of correctness, always tends to also refine linguistic expression moderately. Therefore, the hyperbole should be used very carefully: 1. in descriptions only when the subject itself is surprising and large, or when the author slowly accustoms the reader's fantasies to excessive expression; / 2. in passionate silence only when reason seems overwhelmed and exaggerations therefore produce clearer images than correct expression. ' // It should not be forgotten that the cooler reader can often not understand the hyperbolic expression of the author, who may be under intense emotional excitement during the envious writing; Even in such cases, 'good sense and just taste' should not be ignored. Even the epigram must not be based on excessive hyperbolism. "
Marx Caesar Asimov 