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Introduction
That style is the man, is a famous dictum. It is very true of the style of Addison. Addison’s contribution to the development of English prose can not be overestimated. He perfected English prose as an instrument for the expression of social thought. There had been prose writers before him but none could be said to have developed style which reflected, not only the personality of the writer but the very character and genius of a nation. Addison has taken something from previous prose writers. He is bit of a moralist, a preacher, an essayist, a philosopher and. critic. But he brings together all these characteristics in his new capacity of a journalist. Addison’s prose if compared to what went before it, is nearer the language of conversation. But it is not the informal conversational style of Montaigne. It is free from rigidity and ultra-formal language with the accompanying sense of heaviness. It is, similarly, free of the levity and vulgarism that might find its way into common conversation. “We are justified,” says J.H. Fowler, “in regarding Addison and his friend, Steele as the founders of the modern English essay and modern English prose; and the larger share of the achievement was Addison’s”. Addison was the inventor of what has come to be called the “middle-style.”:
The “Middle Style”
It was Dr. Johnson who first referred to Addison’s style as the “middle style”. What he says regarding the style, is apt and clear. “His prose is the model of the middle style; familiar but not coarse, elegant but not ostentatious: on grave subjects not formal; on light occasions not groveling, but without scrupulosity, and exact without apparent elaboration; and always equable, and always easy, without glowing words or painted words or pointed sentences”. Addison is never very familiar and he is not too stand offish with the reader. He is, in his style, the picture of moderation, a virtue which he recommended to all his readers and wrote in favor of. He avoids all coarse expressions. He is always elegant. And, above all, he is clear and fluent.
Addison’s contribution to the development of English prose can not be overestimated. He perfected English prose as an instrument for the expression of social thought. Addison’s prose style is what Dr. Johnson termed as the ‘middle style’. A style which is not too informal, it is not rigidly formal either. A style which is free of levity and vulgarism, and at the same time easy and friendly, without elaborate flourishes of metaphor and involved comparisons. In Dr. Johnson’s words, Addison is the master of “middle style” familiar but not coarse, elegant but not ostentatious on grave subjects not formal; on light occasion not groveling, pure without scrupulosity, and exact without apparent elaboration; and always equable, and always easy, without glowing words or pointed sentences.” Addison’s style is the picture of moderation, elegant, clear and fluent.
Clarity and Lucidity of Expression
The striking features of Addison’s style are clarity and lucidity. What he wants to say, he says clearly. There is no ambiguity; there is no obscurity or complexity; there is no superfluity. He is not “difficult” to understand. Even a long sentence such as the opening sentence of Meditation in the Abbey: does not present any difficulty to the understanding of the reader.
“When I am in a serious humor, I very often walk by myself in Westminster Abbey: where the gloominess of the place, and the use to which it is applied, with the solemnity of the building, and the condition of the people who lie in it, are apt to fill the mind with a kind of melancholy, or rather thoughtfulness that is not disagreeable.”
The same skill and ability to handle the long sentence is evident in the following extract from the same essay:
“Upon this I began to consider with myself what innumerable multitudes of people lay confused together under the pavement of that ancient cathedral: how men and women, friends and enemies, priests and soldiers, monks and prebendaries, were crumbled amongst one another; and blended together in the same common mass; how beauty, strength, and youth, with old age, weakness and deformity, lay undistinguished in the same promiscuous heap of matter”.
Yet another example of his skillful handling of the long sentence is evident in following sentence taken from the essay, The Spectator's Account of Himself:
“I had been to a small hereditary estate, which according to the tradition of the village where it lies, was bounded by the same hedges and ditches in William the Conqueror time that it is at present, and has been delivered down from father to son whole and entire, without the loss or acquisition of a single field or meadow, during the space of six hundred years.”
These sentences, and many others to be found in his essays, have a number of commas, but the thoughts are clear and easily understood. This clarity and lucidity come out of a strong command over language and carefulness of construction.
The most striking feature of the style of Addison is its clarity. Addison was writing for a popular audience which, he wanted, should understand his works for he aimed at their moral improvement. Thus we find that he never spared any pains to make his writing easily understood. But at the same time he wanted no slip-shod writing for the sake of informality. He was always clear, fluent and chose his words carefully and used them well. Even his long sentences present little difficulty to the reader’s understanding. Such an example of a long sentence which is fluently put across occurs at the very beginning of Meditation in the Abbey:
“When I am in a serious humour, I very often walk by myself in the Westminster Abbey: where the gloominess of the place, and the use to which it is applied, with the solemnity of the building, and the condition of the people in it, are apt to fill the mind with a kind o melancholy, or rather thoughtfulness that is not disagreeable.”
We have another instance of his skillful handling of the long sentence in the same essay:
“Upon this I began to consider with myself what innumerable multitudes of people lay confused together under the pavement of that ancient cathedral; how men and women, friends and enemies, priests and soldiers, monks and prebendaries, were crumbled amongst one another; and blended together in the same common mass; how beauty, strength, and youth, with old age, weakness and deformity, lay undistinguished in the same promiscuous heap of matter.”
These sentences have number of commas, are long and not obscure. The thought is clearly understood and each sentence shows Addison’s firm command over the language.
Short Sentences
Addison is equally capable of expressing himself in short and compact sentences. These sentences are neat and highly effective. He remarks in his essay, The Aim of the Spectator:
“The mind that lies fallow for a single day, sprouts up in follies that are only to be killed by a constant and assiduous culture.” “I shall endeavor to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality, that my readers may, if possible, both ways find their account in the speculation of the day.”
In the essay, The Scope of Satire we have the following sentence which exemplifies his ability to write in a short and neatly compact style:
“That vice and folly ought to be attacked wherever they could be met with, and especially when they were placed in high and conspicuous station of life.”
The following sentence from the essay, Fans, is equally effective in its brief and compact nature:
‘‘Women are armed with fans as men with swords, and sometimes do more execution with them.”
It is not only in the long sentences that Addison shows his mastery. There are a number of short sentences in his essays which show his capacity for expressing his thought in neat and compact sentences which are also brief. In the essay The Aim of the Spectator, we have the following two sentences which serve as examples of the short and lucid sentences:
“The mind lies fallow for a single days sprouts up in follies are only to be killed by a constant and assiduous culture.”“I shall endeavor to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality that my readers may, possible, both ways find their account in the speculation of day”
Polish, Elegance, and Ease of Expression
Clarity of thought and expression is accompanied by a seemingly effortless refinement and elegance of language. Addison was a writer who was very careful in choice of words and arrangement and combination of words. He took pains to revise and re-revise the texts of his writings so that they came as near perfection as they could. But this painstaking effort has resulted in a seemingly effortless ease of expression in his writings which is truly remarkable. He chooses his word carefully but while reading the essays one feels that they have followed out of his pen spontaneously, without effort. This is the charm of the essays.
We find this fastidious artistry in the refined and elegant expressions in his essays. He polished and balanced his phrases until he had perfected the rhythm and made the sentence as bright and clear as possible. He scrupulously avoided the lapses of composition. He also steered clear of low words, slang, and colloquial words or words of common domestic association. This led to the elegance which one has come to associate with the style of Addison.
He achieves a refined and elegant expression through a careful selection of words. He chooses certain dignified and refined terms for common objects such as fans, inscriptions or tongues! He calls the simple hand fans used by the ladies of the day as “that little modish machine”, and “weapon”. He terms the voluble tongue of the female as “this little instrument of loquacity”. He calls a talkative female a “female orator.” The inscriptions on the tombstones in Westminster Abbey are “registers of existence”. He calls the Abbey and its graves “the great magazine of mortality”.
In the essay, Meditations in the Abbey, there is a passage which serves as an excellent example of Addison’s felicity in the choice of words. In this passage, he talks of the “innumerable multitudes” who were “confused together under the pavement of that ancient cathedral”. He goes on to remark how “men and women, friends and enemies, priests and soldiers, monks and prebendaries, were crumbled amongst each other; and blended together in the same common mass; how beauty, strength, and youth, with old age, weakness and deformity lay undistinguished in the same promiscuous heap of matter.” There could not be a better choice of words to make a sentence elegant even while it is clear. He employs circumlocution or a round about manner to great effect while achieving refinement of expression. What an admirable manner he has used to say that all people meet the same fate, namely of death, in the end. This elegance of expression lends a certain - gravity to this particular essay which is in keeping with the solemn mood. It is this facility which leads to a flexibility in his style. He chooses his words carefully but there is no apparent “straining after effect”. The well-bred tone is kept up with effortless ease: The elegant expression helps him suitably in his satiric method as well as it enhances the ironic effect.
Clarity of thought is accompanied by a seemingly effortless of expression. Addison is a master in the art of careful choice of words in the careful arrangement of these words to produce the correct effect. His careful choice of words seems spontaneous because of his control over the language. His sentence shows a flowing grace and rhythm which must have come with considerable revision and effort but the credit goes to him that this style is not labored. He does not use slang or coarse expressions, colloquial words or words of common domestic association. This led to the elegance which one has come to associate with the name of Addison.
He is selective in his use of words which are dignified and refined. Thus we read about a common hand fan being referred to as “that little modish machine” and “weapon”, in the essay Fans. This also enhances the ironic effect. He calls the tongue of the female, “this little instrument of loquacity” in Female Orators. The inscriptions on the tombstones of Westminster Abbey are “registers of existence”. The Abbey and its graves is “the great magazine of mortality”, in the essay Meditations in the Abbey.
In Meditations in the Abbey, there is a passage which serves as an excellent example of Addison’s felicity in the choice of words. He talks of the “innumerable multitudes” who were “confused together under the pavement of that ancient cathedral.” He could easily have said that m my people were buried in the Abbey. But his choice of words makes the passage beautiful and refined even while it loses none of its clarity. What is more striking is that this elegance of expression enhances the ironic effect wherever he wants it.
Structure and Syntax
The structure of his sentences and essays also follow a middle course. They are neither too rigidly formal and tight, nor are they completely haphazard and loose. There is a logical sequence to some extent in the construction of the composition on one hand, and on the other, there is the conversational manner too. There is a balance struck between restraint and unrestricted freedom. The construction of sentences is what is called “loose”. The loose manner suggests the ease of conversation. Addison meant his essays to be rather informal and this sentence construction is appropriate for this intention. But one must note that this discursive treatment is a deliberate one and is controlled so that it does not degenerate into confusion. All through the essays, Addison maintains a rhythmic undercurrent which is, however, not obtrusive.
Metaphors and Similes
Addison’s style is clear and easy to understand. He did not indulge in unnecessary figures of speech merely to decorate or ornament his essays. There is after all, no striving after effect in his essays. But he did not hesitate to use them if and when they seemed necessary to him. “A noble metaphor”, he says himself, “when placed to - an advantage casts a kind of glory round it, and darts a luster through a whole sentence.” He followed his own dictum of using a metaphor or similar figure of speech when he felt that it would help to convey an idea better, or when it was necessary. But nowhere does he use excessively fanciful or high flown comparisons. He uses them, as he does other devices, in a modest, moderate manner. He does not work out a metaphor in elaborate detail but uses in a laconic and terse manner:
“As the finest wines have often the taste of the soil, so even the most religious thoughts often draw something that is particular from the constitution of the mind in which they arise.” “Uncharitable Judgement”
We have another example in Periodical Essays.
“An essay writer must practice in the chemical method, and give the virtue of a full draught in a few drops”.
Addison mostly uses similes and metaphors for humorous effect and in this he is very successful. Note the humor of the statement that Whigs and Tories “engage when they meet as naturally as the elephant and the rhinoceros.” He often borrows a simile from other writers as he does in Female Orators He quotes Hudibras—“the tongue is like a race horse, which runs the faster the lesser weight, it carries.” In the essay, Fans, fans are compared to weapons in the hands of a soldier. It is one essay in which a metaphor is more or less continued throughout. The military metaphor is sustained, through the use of terms like “array”, “discharge”, “words of command”, and so on.
Addison mostly uses metaphors and similes for humorous effect. He is very successful in this. Thus in the essay Fans we have a comparison between the fan in the hand of a lady and the sword in the hand of a soldier. This military metaphor is continued throughout the essay and this adds to the delectable satire. Words such as ‘discharge’, ‘array’, ‘words of command’, etc., in connection with the ‘weapon’ called “fan” enhance the humour. Sometimes he borrows a simile from other writers so as to enhance the humour and pointed satire of his essay. Thus in the essay Female Orators he borrows the simile of the tongue being compared to a race horse from Butler’s Hudibras, “the tongue is like a race-horse, which runs the faster the lesser weight it carries.” On the whole, however, Addison uses metaphors and similes sparingly and only “when necessary. There are no unnecessary and involved comparisons which decorate the writing.
Allusions, Anecdotes and Quotation
Addison uses several allusions in the course of his essays. He uses them to illustrate, convince, add force to his argument, enhance the ironic and satiric effect. The variety of allusions is great. There are historical allusions, Biblical, literary, and mythological allusions. Quotations too are given from many sources. Each of his essays is headed by a quotation from classical or modern author and these quotations are very apt for the subject of the essays. The essay, Female Orators has references to Socrates, his teacher Aspasia, Hudibras, the hero of Samuel Butler’s satiric poem of the same name, a reference and quotation from the Wife of Bath’s tale, a quotation from the ancient Latin poet, Ovid. In the same essay, we also have an allusion to the French philosopher, Descartes. In the essay, On Witchcraft, we have a quotation from Thomas Otway. In, On Ghosts and Apparition, we have an allusion to Locke, the English philosopher, and Lucretius, the ancient Roman poet and philosopher.
A striking part of Addison’s prose style is his use of anecdotes. He uses these to bring a point home to the reader, to illustrate or to enhance the humour of the situation. Sometimes these anecdotes are taken from older literature and popular stories. An instance of this occurs in The Scope of Satire where the Spectator compares himself with the old man in the story who had two wives. The old man becomes bald as both his wives pull out all his hair between them as one does not like black hair and the other dislikes white! The anecdote is used, to illustrate his own dilemmatic position and it also serves to add humour.
But in most of the essays we have imaginary anecdotes, incidents about make-believe characters, which serve to illustrate and add poignancy to a point. We have the story about the woman who made an unhappy marriage the subject of a month’s conversation in the essay Female Orators, to illustrate one type of such ‘orator.’ Another special device used by Addison at times is the letter from an imaginary correspondent. This occurs in the essay, Fans. These allusions and anecdotes, as has been remarked before, contribute greatly to the humour and satire of the essays. That brings us to the most important aspect of Addison’s style i.e., humour and irony.
A special feature of Addison’s manner of writing is his use of anecdotes. He uses them very successfully, mostly, of course, to enhance the humor. But he also uses them to illustrate and lend greater force to his point. Sometimes these anecdotes are taken from older literature or popular stories. We have the allusion to the story of the old man with two wives, one of whom disliked black hair and the other disliked grey hair. As a result they pulled out all the hair of the old man who became bald. This story is used in a most humorous manner to illustrate Spectator’s position when the other club members demand exclusion of their particular classes from Spectator’s satire in the essay, The Scope of Satire. But mostly we have imaginary anecdotes about imaginary characters invented by Addison himself to suit the purposes of illustration of a point, or for satiric purposes. Thus we have the story about the woman who made an unhappy marriage the subject of a month’s conversation in the essay, Female Orators, to illustrate or exemplify one type of female orator. In the same essay, there is Mrs. Fiddle-Faddle who can talk at length about the wit of her boy before he has been able to speak. The same kind of imaginary incident is given in the essay, On Witchcraft, when Addison describes the visit to Moll White’s hovel. This kind of imaginary incidents and anecdotes give vividness and color to the essays. He also uses the device of a letter from an imaginary correspondent sometimes. The allusions and illustrations add richness to the essays, give them a quality of vividness and interest, and make the moral lessons which they have to give more acceptable. These imaginary incidents and allusions are to be found to a great extent in de Coverley papers.
Addison does not shrink from the employment of allusions and quotations wherever needed. There is a wide variety of allusions mythological, Biblical, historical, and literary. Each essay is headed by a quotation taken from classical or modern authors and each is apt for the subject being dealt with in the particular essay Female Orators from which we have the quotation, “Their untir’d lips a wordy torrent pour.”
As for allusions, we have in the essay The Aim of the Spectator references to Socrates and Francis Bacon. In Female Orators we have mention of Hudibras, the wife of Bath, and Ovid. In The Scope of Satire, there are allusions to Horace, Juvenal, and Boileau. There is also the historical reference to the Roman triumvirate.
Humour and Irony
The aim of the Spectator papers was to reform society out of its follies and foibles. Addison declared his method to be the combination of wit with morality. Humour and irony thus form a basic and striking foundation to many of his essays. But it is true that we do not always find humour in his essays. Some of the serious and completely didactic essays such as, Inconstancy On Charity, and The Vison of Mirza, to quote a few examples, do not contain any touch of humour. But one generally remembers Addison’s essays for their humour, genial and gentle humour.
Irony is closely connected with this humour, for the humour is often the product of the irony. His laughter was intended to correct and reform not merely to amuse. The essays dealing with Sir Roger de Coverley are full of ironic humour. The character of the old knight itself is ironically delineated. He is full of oddities and this comes out in his behavior in the church where he does not let anyone sleep except himself! The irony is used to great effect to satirize the foibles of the fashionable female of the day. The essay, Fans, is a delightfully satiric exposition of the contemporary fashion of carrying a hand fan. He easily simulates the adoption of another’s point of view to produce the greatest ironic effect. He adopts a serious manner to describe a triviality and this leads to a humorous effect. His anecdotes, allusions, metaphors and similes are often used to contribute to humour and irony. But humour and irony are never allowed to get out of control. They are there for a purpose, namely for the purpose of instruction and reformation. The effect of the irony is to laugh the readers out of their follies and foibles. It is to be noted that Addison is never bitter or savagely ironical. He maintains the suave and urbane tone. His irony is always gentle and general and civilized.
The disadvantage of the “middle style”
Addison was a moderate in all the aspects of style. This is conducive to an almost perfect English prose style. But this very “middle style” which is recommended as a safe model for those who want to learn how to write English prose is conducive to a certain “mediocrity” of effect. It naturally tends to lack in energy and force which comes only with a full passion and intellectual energy. In this respect, Addison does not reach the mark. He is always cool and restrained; even in his moralizing, he is never vehement or passionate. He emphasizes a point but without rhetoric. This leads to the elegance of expression. But it also seems to express, says Hugh Walker, a lack of energy. “The greatest style is the expression of the highest energy, intellectual and moral.” Addison, according to this critic, does not rise to the highest rank. But one can not dismiss Addison as a minor writer. He did a great deal to perfect English prose. It is true that Addison’s page “never places in unexpected splendor” and that his prose is “without glowing words or painted sentences”, that he “did not wish to be energetic”, as Dr. Johnson says. But one has to admire the clarity, “the free unaffected movement, graceful transitions, delicate harmonies, and appropriateness, of tone” of his style.
Humour and irony are basic to the essays in the Spectator. Addison aimed at reforming the public out of its vices and follies and he intended to do this through satirizing these vices and follies. But his satire is humorous, never bitter. Like all satirists he uses irony but in his hands, it becomes ‘gentle’ because it is urbane and general. The irony is closely connected with humour; it is, in fact, the very essence of that humour. His laughter was intended to correct, not merely to amuse. The humour tones down the deadly effect of irony, makes it smooth even while it is pointed. In Female Orators we have a string of ironical remarks which cannot fail to amuse even while satirizing the ‘empty headed’ loquacity of women. The ironical effect is enhanced through the tone of gravity and admiration employed by Addison. Thus he seems to praising the volubility of women when he says,
“With what fluency of invention, aud copiousness of expression, will they enlarge upon every little slip in the behavior of another; With how many different circumstances, and with variety of phrases will they tell over the same story!”
Whereas we know clearly enough that the whole passage is an ironical dig at the talkativeness of women and their tendency for malicious gossip. How seriously he describes the maneuvers with the fan as if they were indeed a part of an elaborate drill. The whole essay, Fans, is a delightful satirical exposition of the contemporary fashion of fluttering a hand fan. Delicate irony and humour are at their best in the essays dealing with Sir Roger. Sir Roger at Church gives an affectionately ironical description of the old knight who does not let anyone sleep in the congregation besides himself. He stands up while all the rest are keeping in order to see if all his tenants had come to church. We are told how the knight was in the habit of saying ‘Amen’ three or four times if he liked a particular prayer. All this is humorous as well as ironic. The allusions and anecdotes serve to enhance the humour. But Addison never allows this humour and irony to get out of control. Even in the essays which satirize the female foibles and fashions, and do so rather pungently, he never becomes virulent. The refinement of style and thought is always keeping a control and keeping the satire controlled and ‘gentle.’ The irony is always gentle and civilized. The humour is ‘purposive’ and never farcical.
Addison’s True Style of Man
There is a popular saying that a man reveals his character and true nature in his style of writing. This could easily said to be most true regarding the prose style of Addison. Few English writer have revealed themselves more accurately and exactly in their writings than Addison”, as Hugh Walker remarks And according to Deighton, Addison’s style is not easily imitable because to write like Addison, one has to be like Addison.
Addison was a reserved, cool and ‘rational’ man, just and sensible. He had a benevolent attitude towards mankind but every emotion was toned to moderation by his cool judgment. He was also a refined and cultured man and this elegance and cool rationality make him different from his co-worker Steele who was more impulsive, more spontaneous, more generous, but less refined and careful. There was a simple kindness in Addison, a deep and simple piety. He was a well-travelled man and knew several matters through wide reading and learning. Sober and reserved, refined and coolly rational, Addison’s very character is reflected in his style of writing.
We find that Addison’s style is the model of the ‘middle style’, as Johnson says. His style expresses the same cool sense of judgment and moderation that he advocated in life and according to which he tried to live. In his writing, the figures of speech which he employs (though this is sparingly done), the manner of expressing his thoughts, Addison shows his refinement and innate elegance. His cool moderation is evident in his moralisation which are put across with conviction but without rancor or fanatic zeal. He is always moderate and shows no heat or intensity. He is eloquent but not rhetorical. His choice of words is made carefully. He was a sober and careful man in life as well as refined; he chose the words in his writings accordingly. His choice of words reflects his sense of refinement and striving after perfection. It is said that he revised his work several times and often stopped it from the press at the last moment to alter a punctuation mark. But all This effort does not show a laborious style, for Addison’s style is clear, lucid and seemingly spontaneous.
His ‘urbane’ temperament comes out clearly in the humor and irony which are the basic essentials of his style. It is his character which controls his humour and irony and checks it from becoming bitter or malicious. His humane disposition is seen in the manner of his satiric attack: he attacks vices without hurting persons and attacks classes and never individuals. His satire is prompted by the humanitarian aim of reforming society, and reforming through gentle laughter. But his essential coolness also helped him to more sharp in his irony than Steele, who tended to be more sentimental.
The illustrations and allusions and anecdotes show his reading and learning and his preference for making the abstract into something concrete. Addison’s style is not without its demerits. As Hugh Walker remarks, “the greatest style is the expression of the highest energy, intellectual and moral”, and this quality Addison did not possess. He does write on ‘trite’ subjects and without much originality. For this, he could only produce the “middle style.” This is, of course, not to detract from the service that he did to the development of English prose. Addison brought to English prose, the qualities which he possessed as a man i.e., lucidity of expression, refinement, elegance, clarity and precision, sanity and moderation of thought and emotion.
Conclusion
While one cannot deny the charge of mediocrity against the style of Addison to some extent, his significance in the history of English prose cannot be ignored. It was he who freed it from extravagances and excesses and gave to it clarity and lucidity and precision. He did a great service to English literature. He did indeed perfect English prose style to a large extent. “He and the Queen Anne essayists have been a permanent force on the side of sanity and restraint of thought and clearness”, as Hugh Walker remarks.
There are some critics who charge that Addison’s ‘middle style’ is a style of mediocrity. It is the external manifestation of a mediocre mind which had not the fierce and powerful intellectual and moral strength to produce the fiery and powerful style. This, to some extent, is true. Addison’s style is always sedate, refined and careful. It never “blazes in unexpected splendor there” are no “glowing words or pointed sentences.” But then Addison never wanted to be “energetic.” Though the charge of mediocrity cannot be fully denied, there is no suppressing the importance of Addison’s service to the development of an easy and modern English prose style. One has to admire the “free unaffected movement, graceful transitions, delicate harmonies, and appropriateness of tone” in his style. He brought clarity and fluency of expression to English prose style.
University Questions
1. “As regards Addison’s style, of no one could it be more truly said that the style is the man”. Discuss with reference to Addison’s essays.
2. Write a short essay on Addison’s literary style.
3. “In Addison’s prose the English essay reaches the highest point of
perfection”. Discuss in context of Addison's prescribed essays.
4. “Addison is one of the creators of prose style.” Elaborate and discuss with reference to the prescribed essays of Addison.
5. Bring out the salient features of Addison’s prose style.