[lit-ideas] Stylistics ('The style is the man')

From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 21:59:49 EDT
Donal McEvoy was making some comments on Wittgenstein's 'style' 
(presentational style, etc). 
Some refs. below from the OED (for your consideration) re: 'style' as being 
idiosyncratic, and the story of a (quasi-sexist) quote -- the style is the man. 
If so, what's stylistics?

Cheers,

JL

----

From the OED

'style' (among other things):

"The manner of expression characteristic of a particular writer (hence of an 
orator), or of a literary group or period; a writer's mode of expression 
considered in regard to clearness, effectiveness, beauty, and the like."


1330 R. BRUNNE Chron. Wace (Rolls) 16705 (Petyt MS.) Pers of Langtoft..On 
frankis stile is storie wrote. c1386 CHAUCER Clerk's T. 1092 Therfore petrak 
writeth This storie, which with heigh stile he enditeth. 1412-20 LYDG. Chron. 
Troy 
I. 3090 After e maner of my rude stile. c1440 Promp. Parv. 475/2 Style, forme 
of indytynge, or spekynge or wrytynge, stilus. 1517 H. WATSON Ship of Fools 
Argt. Aj, In facyle sentence and famylyer style. a1548 HALL Chron., Edw. IV. 
227 A letter of diffiance, bothe for the stile & the pennyng excellently 
endited. 1609 B. JONSON Epicne II. ii, So shee may censure Poets, and Authors, 
and 
stiles, and compare 'hem. 1721 SWIFT Let. Yng. Gentl. Holy Orders Wks. 1898 
III. 
201 Proper words in proper places, make the true definition of a style. 1728 
LAW Serious C. vii. (1732) 96 She will sometimes read a book of Piety..if it 
is much commended for stile and language. a1817 T. DWIGHT Trav. (1821) I. 510 
The Boston style is a phrase, proverbially used..to denote a florid, pompous 
manner of writing. 1845 PATTISON Ess. (1889) I. 13 St. Gregory of Tours has no 
style, barely grammar. 1870 RUSKIN Lect. Art iii. 68 No man is worth reading to 
form your style, who does not mean what he says. 1889 SWINBURNE Stud. B. 
Jonson 174 The incomparable style of Mr. Ruskin.
 
'the style is the man'
[1624 R. BURTON Anat. Melancholy (ed. 2) 7 It is most true, stylus virum 
arguit, our stile bewrayes vs. 

1753 G. BUFFON Histoire Naturelle VII. p. xvii, Le style est l'homme mÃªme.] 

1901 G. B. SHAW Caesar & Cleopatra 208 Going to Caesar's books, and 
concluding that the style is the man. 

1901 A. WHYTE Bible Characters: Stephen to Timothy civ. 72 

If the style is the man in Holy Scripture also,..we feel a very great liking 
for Luke. 

1942 H. F. HEARD Reply Paid (1943) ix. 141 Usually I don't like to have my 
style modified. â??The style is the man.â?? 

1978 Language LIV. 284 In describing Achilles' speech, we have also been 
describing his character, since â??style is the manâ??.
 

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[lit-ideas] Stylistics ('The style is the man')

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