Routledge Revivals The Anatomy of Prose First published in 1954, this title is a companion to The Anatomy of Poetry as a literary guide for the student reader. Writing that students generally find it more challenging to analyse a passage of prose than a piece of poetry, Marjorie Boulton takes a systematic approach to the technical elements of prose, considering form, vocabulary, rhythm and the application of historical context. With suggestions for further reading and practical, lucid advice, this reissue will be of particular value to students of English Literature in need of a constructive study aid. This page intentionally left blank: The Anatomy of Prose Marjorie Boulton Routledge Taylor & Francis Group Firstpublishedin1954 byRoutledge&KeganPaulLtd Thiseditionfirstpublishedin2013byRoutledge 2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,Oxon,OX144RN SimultaneouslypublishedintheUSAandCanada byRoutledge 711ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10017 RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness ©1954MarjorieBoulton TherightofMarjorieBoultontobeidentifiedasauthorofthisworkhasbeen assertedbyherinaccordancewithsections77and78oftheCopyright,Designs andPatentsAct1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now knownor hereafterinvented,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orin any informationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthe publishers. Publisher’sNote Thepublisherhasgonetogreatlengthstoensurethequalityofthisreprintbut pointsoutthatsomeimperfectionsintheoriginalcopiesmaybeapparent. Disclaimer The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and welcomes correspondencefromthosetheyhavebeenunabletocontact. ALibraryofCongressrecordexistsunderLCcontrolnumber:55000017 ISBN13:978-0-415-72222-3(hbk) ISBN13:978-1-315-85837-1(ebk) Additional materials are available on the companion website at [http://www.routledge.com/books/series/Routledge_Revivals] THE ANATOMY OF PROSE by MARJORIE BOULTON ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL LTD BroadwayH ouse,6 8-74 CarterL ane London First publishedi n 1954 by Routledge& Kegan Paul Limited BroadwayH ouse, 68-74 Carter Lane London E.C.4 Printed in Great Britain by Latimer, Trend & Co Limited Plymouth To JOHN F. DANBY and GERTRUDE DANBY with love This page intentionally left blank: CONTENTS INTRODUCTION page xi I. THE GENERAL FORM OF PROSE I II. THE WORD: VOCABULARY 8 III. THE SENTENCE: GRAMMAR AND IDIOM 20 IV. TIIE SENTENCE: WRITTEN AND SPOKEN PROSE 30 V. THE PARAGRAPH 41 VI. PROSE RHYTHM 49 VII. INDIVIDUAL AND COMMON STYLE 70 VIII. COMMON STYLE AND CHEAP STYLE 79 IX. SIMPLICITY AND ORNAMENTATION 85 x. SUBDIVISIONS: A. OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE 95 XI. SUBDIVISIONS: B. ABSTRACT AND CONCRETE 102 XII. SUBDIVISIONS: REALISM, ROMANCE AND UNREALITY 108 XIII. SUBDIVISIONS: SOME SPECIAL CONVENTIONS 120 XIV. SUBDIVISIONS: PROSE FOR ITS OWN SAKE 132 XV. THE HISTORICAL APPROACH 137 XVI. THE SCIENCE OF RHETORIC 149 XVII. A WORD ABOUT WRITING PROSE 174 XVIII. SUGGESTIONSF OR FURTHER READING 178 INDEX 183 Vll