The novice fails in such
writing as this because he becomes enamored of his beautiful images and
forgets what he is trying to illustrate. The relation between reality
and image should be as invariable as mathematics. If such startling
images cannot be used with perfect clearness and vivid perception of
their usefulness and value, they should not be used at all.
De Quincey is so successful because his mind comprehends every detail
of the scene, and through the images we see the bottom truth as through
a perfect crystal. A clouded diamond is no more ruined by its
cloudiness than a clouded metaphor.
As in Ruskin's description of the mountain, we see in this the value of
the sounds of words, and how they seem to make music in themselves.
A Word lacking in dignity in the very least would have ruined the whole
picture, and so would a word whose rotund sound did not correspond to
the loftiness of the passage. Perhaps the only word that jars is
"English three-decker"---but the language apparently afforded De Quincey
no substitute which would make his meaning clear.
CHAPTER VII.
RESERVE:
Thackeray.
Pages:
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237