" Careful
examination will show that form, used five times in this paragraph,
has at least three very slightly differing meanings, a fact which
greatly adds to the objectionableness of the recurrence of the sound.
A writer who has a high regard for accuracy and completeness of
expression is very liable to fall into tediousness in his explanations,
he realizes that he is tedious, but he asks, "How can I say what I have
to say without being tedious?" Tediousness means that what is said is
not worth saying at all, or that it can be said in fewer words.
The best method of condensation is the use of some pregnant phrase or
comparison which rapidly suggests the meaning without actually stating
it. The art of using suggestive phrases is the secret of condensation.
But in the rapid telling of a story or description of a scene, perhaps
no fault is so surely fatal as a momentary lapse into meaningless fine
phrases, or sentimentality. In writing a vivid description the author
finds his pen moving even after he has finished putting down every
significant detail. He is not for the moment sure that he has finished,
and thinks that to complete the picture, to "round it up," a few general
phrases are necessary.
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