Swift’s Prose Style ;;;
Swift is undoubtedly, the greatest prose writer of his age and one of the
greatest writers of all times. Many critics like Williams Deans, Howells, Dr.
Johnson, Coleridge and T.S Eliot called Jonathan Swift the greatest writer of
the prose. T.S Eliot goes so that as to call, Swift the greatest writer of English
prose, and the greatest man who has ever written great English prose.
Evidently there are some reasons for his greatness
One of the causes of the popularity of “Gulliver Travel” is the simple and
direct narrative style of the book. The plain description gives us the
impression that the author is describing which he has himself seen or
experienced.
Dr Jonathan Style was pompous and bombastic, was the first to
appreciate the simplicity of Swift’s style. He said, “The reader of Swift
needs no previous knowledge.” Coleridge, whose own prose was marked by
metaphysical subtlety, also paid a tribute to simplicity of Swift style. He
said, “ Swift style is in its line: the manner is a complete expression of the
matter."
When Swift started writing he did not adopt the prose style of his
predecessors. Swift style is lucid and terse. He seems to have no difficulty in
finding words to express exactly the impression which he wishes to convey.
His sentences come home to the reader, like the words of great orator or
advocate with convincing force. He realizes so clearly what he is describing
that the reader is , of necessity and impressed.
Swift defined style as “ proper words in proper places.” This definition fits his
own writing perfectly well. Swift’s prose is an example of the right words in
the right place. His words are selected that they convey exactly the
impression he wishes to create. He selects the most appropriate words to
express his thoughts. The words suit the subject perfectly. Sometimes he
even ignores the rules of grammar in order to express himself in a way
which will create the correct impression. There is a little ornament: there is
none of divine simplicity of Bunyan : there is none of the majesty of Milton,
but there is workman-tike adaptation of means to end. Referring to his
style, Dr. Jonathan has said; His style was well suited to his thoughts, which
are never decorated by sparkling conceits, elevated by ambitious
sentences or variegated by far-sought learning.”
According to Matthew Arnold, the qualities of good prose are are ‘unfairly’,
regularity, precision and balance.” These are exactly the qualities of Swift’s
prose. He always says clearly and precisely what he means.
As a story teller Swift is unsuppressed for his approach to the art of fiction
he combines the richness of adult intelligence with the clarity and
directness of a child’s mind. As a result, his Gulliver’s Travel has a two-
folded appeal. For a child, it is simple narrative of the travels of Gulliver to
some strange lands, and his interesting experiences there. For the
intellectuals it is a satire on the follies of his age as well as of human beings
in general. His style enables him to tell a story clearly with exactly the right
amount of detail and to describe equally clearly such complicated processes
as the capture of the Blesfuscu fleet, or the schemes of projectors. The book
is written with such consummate ease that we are apt to overlook the skill
with with which Swift achieves this object.
It is often said that Swift’s prose style lacks imagination and passion. A
French critic says: “ Swift style lacks eloquence of ideas and sentiments.
Eloquence in his sense is mind’s highest reach and widest conquest. It is
the creative energy of life itself, manifested on those frontiers which we
call variously religion, philosophy and poetry.” But these views lack vitality
and are deficient in truth.
The age of Swift is called “ The Age of Prose and Reason”. Swift came under
the influence of his age—an age when imagination and emotions were
subordinated to reason and wit. People believed in the supremacy of reason
; and their thoughts were determined by reason. Hence, Swift describes
both imagination and emotions. He tries to convince his readers. He appeals
to their minds not to their heats. Moreover, he offers a “ criticism of life” ; and
criticism has no link, Whatsoever, with imagination and emotions. There
are no imaginative flights, nor soaring into the infinite, no raptures of
idealism, no fine frenzies of passion; there is just charity.
