I rejoice to say that I have no passion for shaking hands with strangers. I do not yearn for vast unexplored regions. I take the North Pole and the South, the Sahara and the Karoo* for granted. As Johnson said of the Giant’s Causeway, I should like to see them, but I should not like to go to see them.* And so with books. Time is so short that I have none to spare for keeping abreast with the circulating library. I could almost say with the Frenchman that when I see that a new book is published I read an old one. I am always in the rearward of the fashion, and a book has to weather the storms of its maiden voyage before I embark on it. When it has proved itself seaworthy I will go aboard; but meanwhile the old ships are good enough for me. I know the captain and the crew, the fare I shall get and the port I shall make and the companionship I shall have by the way.
From ‘On Re-Reading’, in ‘Windfalls’ (1920), a selection of essays by Alfred George Gardiner (1865-1946), who wrote under the pseudonym ‘Alpha of the Plough.’
* A semi-desert natural region of South Africa, with no precise scientific definition.
* The Giant’s Causeway is a natural rock formation made up of some 40,000 regular, interlocking, mostly hexagonal columns of basalt, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It lies in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland. In his Life of Johnson, Thomas Boswell recorded that his friend always spoke kindly of the Irish but had a peculiar aversion to the idea of going to Ireland. “Should you not like to see Dublin, sir?” Boswell asked him. “No, sir; Dublin is only a worse capital” came the reply. “Is not the Giant's Causeway worth seeing?” persisted Boswell. “Worth seeing? yes; but not worth going to see.”
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Précis
Conan Doyle’s talk of a vast territory of unexplored literature did not impress Gardiner. He acknowledged the world had many geographical treasures, but had no desire to visit them all. A new book was a ship on her maiden voyage. Until Time had thoroughly tested her, he preferred to travel with a ship and crew that was reassuringly familiar. (59 / 60 words)
Conan Doyle’s talk of a vast territory of unexplored literature did not impress Gardiner. He acknowledged the world had many geographical treasures, but had no desire to visit them all. A new book was a ship on her maiden voyage. Until Time had thoroughly tested her, he preferred to travel with a ship and crew that was reassuringly familiar.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, despite, must, ought, unless, until, whether.
About the Author
Alfred George Gardiner (1865-1946) was a journalist, editor and political campaigner. In 1887, joined the Northern Daily Telegraph, and moved to the Blackburn Weekly Telegraph two years later as editor. Gardiner was appointed editor of the Daily News in 1902, which he helped to turn into one of the leading liberal newspapers of the day with a dramatically increased circulation. He resigned over a point of policy in 1919, but by this time he had been writing for the Star for four years under the pen-name of ‘Alpha of the Plough’ — like other contributors, he chose a name drawn from astronomy. His essays were regarded highly for their craft and good humour, and several collections were published.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Publish. Stranger. There.
2 Make. Seldom. Storm.
3 Giant. Good. Need.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
swp (5)
swap. sweep. swipe. swoop. swop.
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