A coal merchant in Beverley, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, around 1900, courtesy of the East Riding Archives.
Introduction
Following the death of William Wilberforce, the great anti-slavery campaigner, on July 29th, 1833, an impressive list of statesmen requested a fitting funeral in Westminster Abbey. Ordinary people grieved in their many thousands too, and a generation later Travers Buxton recalled that this affection was of long standing.
MORE striking still was the general mourning of the people of London and the respect shown to his memory both in this country and in the United States, especially among the coloured population who owed him so much. The reverence shown to Wilberforce by the public was indeed no new thing. He said of himself that the public treated him ‘as if he were some great person.’
Walking up a steep narrow street one day at Bath he saw a carter savagely ill-treating a horse which had fallen in trying to drag up a heavy load of coals. Wilberforce quickly stepped forward to intervene, horrified at the man’s cruelty, when the burly carter turned on him with a torrent of abuse and would have struck him had not his mate stopped him, and whispered who the gentleman was. In a moment the man was softened; his look of rage changed to one of reverence, and he apologised to Wilberforce for his rude violence.
Abridged
Abridged from ‘William Wilberforce: the Story of a Great Crusade’ (1900), by Travers Buxton (1865-1945).
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
The death of William Wilberforce in 1833 prompted an outpouring of grief that was not merely the emotion of the moment. Some time before, Wilberforce had stepped in to save a coal man’s horse from a beating; and such was Wilberforce’s reputation, the instant the offender learnt who had accosted him all indignation vanished, and he apologised handsomely. (58 / 60 words)
The death of William Wilberforce in 1833 prompted an outpouring of grief that was not merely the emotion of the moment. Some time before, Wilberforce had stepped in to save a coal man’s horse from a beating; and such was Wilberforce’s reputation, the instant the offender learnt who had accosted him all indignation vanished, and he apologised handsomely.
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: although, because, despite, must, otherwise, unless, until, whether.
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.
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 Day. Intervene. So.
2 If. Turn. Which.
3 He. Ill. No.
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.)
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Apologise. 2 People. 3 Drag. 4 Look. 5 Show. 6 Turn. 7 Still. 8 Man. 9 Step.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
x
0
Add
Your Words ()
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