Virtual School of English


What is Good Writing?
As Ezra Pound pointed out many years ago there are only a few facts you need to look for when you are criticising a piece of writing. You do not even need to learn the fancy words, but you do have to know what they mean.

"Literature is language charged with meaning; great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree."

How do you charge language with meaning? In the following ways:

phanopoeia - a visual image

"a bracelet of bright hair about the bone"

melopoeia - sound

"lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore"

logopoeia - meanings, puns, and implications

"Put out the light, and then put out the light"

The first example also contains melopoeia - the alliteration caused by the repetition of the sound "b" - as well as logopoeia - why is the hair "bright"? This language is therefore highly charged with meaning.

The only other item you need to consider is:
Fitness to Purpose.
Unless there is a very good reason for it don't have Scotty talk like Mr Spock.

That is all the tools you need - go forth and criticise.

Article (c) 1997 John F. McShane M.A.(Hons)Glas

No-prizes will be awarded to the first five visitors to identify all of the above quotations.


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