Joseph Addison as an Essayist

 Most of Joseph Addison’s essays are the social documents of the eighteenth century English life of middle-class people. He wrote elaborately on religion, politics, death, woman and other contemporary issues. Myres, in this connection, says- “It is necessary to study the work of Joseph Addison in close relation to the time in which he lived, for he was a true child of his century…..” Addison adopted the ‘middle style’. It was associated with the graceful rhythm. Once Sr. Johnson praised the style of Addison- ;Give nights and days, sir, to the study of Addison if you mean to be a good writer, or , what is more worth, an honest man.” Dr. Johnson again said-“His(Addison’s)prose is the model of the middle style; on grave subjects not formal, on light occasions not grovelling; pure without  scrupulosity, and extra without apparent elaboration; always equable, and always tempter, he performed; he is never feebler, and he did not wish to be energetic; he is never rapid, and he never stagnates. His sentences have nether not diligently rounded, are voluble and easy.”

Addison used the language of the clubs and the coffee-houses. He too wished to refine the English language and to write with well-bred ease. But at the same time he saw a danger in common speech- “Since it often happens that the most obvious phrases, and those which are used in ordinary conversation, become too familiar to the ear , and contract a kind of meanness by passing through the mouths of the vulgar, a poet should take particular care to guard himself against idiomatic ways of speaking………The great masters in composition know very well that many an elegant phrase becomes improper for a poet or an orator, when it has been debased by common use.”  (The Spectator, No.285.)

Mr. Addison wanted to avoid vulgarity. As a consequence, according to his sentiment, he created Sir Roger. He felt ease at the home of Sir Roger –“I am the more at ease in Sir Roger’s family, because it consists of sober and staid persons: for as the knight is the best master in the world, he seldom changes his servants; and as he is beloved by all about him, his servants never care for leaving him; by this means his domestics are all  in years, and grown old with their master.” (SirRoger at home).

Mr. Addison was religious-minded. Naturally his essay was reflected with that ideology –“I am always very well pleased with a country. Sunday, and think, if keeping holy the seventh day were only a human institution, it would be the best method that could have been thought of for  the polishing and civilizing of mankind.” (Sir Roger at Church). In this essay he upholded the observance of Sunday on account of its social in influences rather than for its religious meaning-“Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week.”

‘The Drama-an allegory’ is an excellent essay of Addison’s style. Though this essay Addison tried to organize his humour-“Her name was Fancy. She led up every mortal to the appointed place, after having very officiously assisted him in making up his pack, and laying it upon his shoulders. My heart melted within me to see my fellow- creatures groaning under their respective burdens, and to consider that prodigious bulk of human calamities which lay before me.”

Again in his Mischiefs of Party Spirit, he says Party spirit is harmful to man’s morals and understanding. It may even lead to civil war and blood-shed –“A furious party –spirit, when it rages in its violence, exerts itself in civil war and blood-shed; and when it its under its greatest restraints, naturally breaks out in falsehood, detraction, calumny, and a partial administration of justice. In a world, it fills a nation with spleen, rancour, and exercise an exit of all the seeds of good-nature, compassion, and humanity”.

Addison’s style is marked for fantastic blending of humour and satire. There is no mannerism in his prose-style. He wrote without any effort. He also used irony and wit to mark his essay didactic. His essays were not ‘art for the sake of art’. Critical investigation observes a mind approach of puritanical propaganda in his essays. Addison’s aim and endeavour was “to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality.”

Addison, regarded as one of the greatest prose stylists in English literary history, and the ‘founder of modern English essay and modern English prose, was the pioneer of a style that was very simple, lucid, natural, moderate, free from extravagant expression, and called ‘middle style’. It is a style of straightness, without any obscurities, ambiguities, complexities, or superfluities. “He perfected English prose as an instrument for the expression of social thought.’’ Moreover, Addison, as an essayist, is often seen as a moralist, a preacher, a philosopher and critic, and also a humorist. In this writing we will discuss with reference from Addison’s The Spectator essays.

Dr. Johnson for the first time mentioned Addison’s style to be ‘middle style’. He says well-

“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 elaborations; and always equable, and always easy, without glowing words or painted words or pointed sentences.’’

Actually, he is clear, fluent and understandable in what he wants to say.

Clearness and lucidity of expression is the most striking feature of Addison’s style. There is no complexity or obscurity or difficulty in his expression. Even, a very long sentence can express clear ideas at the very first sight or reading. For example,

“sometimes he will be lengthening out a verse in the singing psalms, half a minute after the rest of the congregation have done with it; sometimes when he is pleased with the matter of his devotion, he pronounces amen three or more times to the same prayer, and sometimes stands up when everybody else is upon their knees, to count the congregation, or see if any of his tenants are missing.’’ (Sir Roger at Church)

Here, more than one idea regarding Sir Roger’s humorous activities is expressed with the help of many comas and semicolons. But each of the ideas is expressed clearly without any haziness.

However, Addison is also very expert, when situation demands, in using short sentences-

“As soon as the sermon is finished, no body presumes to stir till Sir Roger is gone out of the Church.”

            (Sir Roger at Church)

Again, Addison also writes many compact and succinct sentences having quotable quality like those of Bacon. For example –

“In this case, therefore, it is not religion that sours a man’s temper, But it is his temper that sours his religion.”

            (Uncharitable Judgment)

                       

Humour is one of the most notable qualities of Addison’s style. Addison’s humour is mainly ironical and satirical and sometimes funny. It is not harsh or bitter but gentle, genial and civilized with a view to correcting the society out of its follies and foibles. We can mention an example from the essay, “Sir Roger at Church”-

“As Sir Roger is landlord to the whole congregation, he keeps them in very good order, and will suffer nobody to sleep in it besides himself; for it by chance he has been surprised into a short nap at sermon, upon recovering out of it he stands up and looks about him, and if he sees anybody  else nodding, either wakes them himself, or sends his servants to them.”

Here, the humorous irony towards Sir Roger’s eccentricities is notable.

Addison’s style is not highly figurative. Fanciful similes and metaphors are not found in his writings. Rather, when he thinks that his use of figurative language would be more useful and effective, only then he uses them. Such as:

                        “and his coachman has the looks of a privy –councillor”

                                                            (Sir Roger at Home)

Here, by ‘the looks of a privy councilor’, Addison wants to reveal the coachman’s serious and wise looks with a touch of humour. Again –

“A sermon repeated after this manner, is like the composition of a poet in the mouth of a graceful actor.”

                        (Sir Roger at Home)

Addison uses many allusions, anecdotes, references. Additionally, most of his essays are headed by quotations from classical or modern authors and these quotations are very apt to the subjects of the essays. For example, ‘Sir Roger at Church’ begins with the motto from Pythagoras –

                        “First, in obedience to thy country’s rites,

                          Worship ‘th’ immortal God”

Apparently, it seems that Addison is not laborious in his expression and word selection as the reader is not to pay any labour to read and understand his writings. But, actually “Addison was extremely fastidious in his choice of words and laborious by polished and balanced hphrases.” Here lies his difference from other prose writers. In fact, most of the prose of Milton, Bacon and Lamb demands simplified version and explanation. On the other hand, Addison himself is a simplified version.

Addison’s style is near to the language of conversation, but not to the informal conversational style of Montaige. Sometimes, it seems that Addison is talking with the reader. Such as the speaker, the Spectator, that is, Addison is telling that –

“As I was walking with him [Sir Roger] last night, he asked me how I liked the good man [the Chaplain] whom I have just now mentioned, and without saying for an answer, told me, that he was afraid of being insulted with Latin and Greek at his own table.”  (Sir Roger at Home)

That is in the midst of the description of talking about the chaplain between the speaker and Sir Roger, the writer as well as speaker tells us whom he has just mentioned in previous paragraph.

In fine, we cannot but admit Addison’s great service to English prose as well as English literature. He showed a perfect English prose style to a large extent, and freed it from extravagances and excesses of eighteenth century writers, and brought in it clearness, lucidity and exactness. Indeed, we can end the discussion with Dr. Johnson’s tribute, regarded as classic, to it –

“Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentations, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison.”