 |
Making Sense of Nonsense: Writing Advice From Lewis Carroll and the Jabberwocky
Author: Philip Yaffe  | Posted: 11-04-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 239 | Rating: (252)  (?) 
by Philip Yaffe
The absolute, unalterable, incontestable hallmark of a good expository (non-fiction) text is its clarity. Whatever other attributes it may have, if it isn't clear, it isn't good, Likewise, if it isn't good, it isn't clear.
Clarity being the prime criterion, what possible relationship could there between the absolute nonsense of Lewis Carroll's poem "The Jabberwocky" (in Alice through the Looking Glass) and good expository writing? A great deal, actually, because "The Jabberwocky" is not absolute nonsense. And that's its great appeal.
If you have ever read the book or seen the Disney film, you know this poem. But let's refresh our memories by looking at just the first paragraph.
Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Far from being nonsense, each line is meticulously crafted to give the impression that it is saying something serious. In Alice's own words, "It seems to fill my head with ideas -- only I don't know exactly what they are."
This is exactly what a good expository text should do. First, present an idea, which of course will be fuzzy until you take the second step, which is to clearly explain it.
Too many expository texts fail to follow this simple two-step procedure. Instead, they either mix an idea together with details, without clearly separating them. Or they give all the supporting details first, with kind of a surprise ending: "Hey, here's what all of this really means!"
Both approaches are dramatically incorrect.
Not clearly distinguishing key ideas from details means that the key ideas get lost in the details. People are not quite certain what they are supposed to retain from the text, so they retain very little.
Saving the key idea for the end is probably worse. Readers must wade through an ocean of details without understanding their significance, so many will give up before they get to the end. Those that do make it to the end are challenged to go back through the text to better understand the conclusion, which most are unlikely to do.
So once again, the best approach to most expository texts is:
1. Clearly state an idea.
2. Then clearly explain it.
Does "The Jabberwocky" follow this procedure? Yes, but in its own inimitable way.
From the near total nonsense of the first paragraph, it passes to near total understanding in the second paragraph.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
It continues in this near understanding mode throughout the third, fourth, fifth and sixth paragraphs. Only to conclude with the near total nonsense of the first paragraph, which now somehow seems less nonsensical than it did at the beginning.
We shouldn't stretch this analysis too far, because Mr. Carroll obviously didn't achieve the number one objective of any expository text - to be perfectly clear. But of course this wasn't his intention. Unfortunately, many expository writers also fail to achieve the objective, because "clear" is a weasel word, i.e. it means different things to different people. What is clear to you may not be clear to me, and vice versa.
The best way to resolve this problem is to give "clear" a functional definition. A kind of recipe we can apply when writing a text. And a test we can apply to evaluate the text when we have finished. And here it is.
Clarity Principle
In order to be clear, you must do three things:
1. Emphasize what is of key importance.
2. De-emphasize what is of secondary importance.
3. Eliminate what is of no importance
In short, CL = EDE
This is not a perfect solution to the problem of clarity (nothing is), but it comes reasonably close.
First, you identify the key ideas you want to convey and make certain that they are highlighted (primary importance). Second, you explain or defend these key ideas with appropriate supporting information (secondary importance). Finally, you eliminate everything else (no importance). This means rejecting all information that does not support one or more of the key ideas.
As a result, you arrive at a text that is admirably clear, because everything is in its proper place. Your text is also automatically well on the way to being admirably concise, because you have getting rid of everything of no importance. In a first draft, information of no importance can take up as 30 per cent of the text, so by eliminating it you have reduced the length by 30 per cent.
An Illuminating Anecdote
It is not commonly known that Lewis Carroll's real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. And in addition to being a superb storyteller, he was also a first-class logician and mathematician.
I discovered this when I was a mathematics student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As part of my studies, I had to take a class in semantic and symbolic logic. Having been acquainted with Alice in Wonderland only through the Disney cartoon, I was surprised to see a reference to it in the course textbook. Then another one. And another one. And another one. The more references I encountered, the curiouser and curiouser I became. I had to read the book.
The fact is, Alice in Wonderland is heavy with mathematical and logical allusions, if you know where to look. Prof. Dodgson (Carroll) may have included them on purpose, but given who he was, they might have just found their way into the work naturally. In any event, I was intrigued and determined to find them.
One day, I was sitting in front of the university waiting for a bus and reading Alice in Wonderland. A little old lady walked by. A puzzled expression came over her face when she noticed what I was reading. First she stared at the book, then at the university, then back at the book. Finally she walked away, shaking her head. I don't know what she was thinking, but I am certain it wasn't very flattering, either for me or the university.
Philip Yaffe is a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a course in good writing and good speaking in Brussels, Belgium. His recently published book In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional is available from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers.be) and Amazon (amazon.com).
For further information, contact:
Philip Yaffe
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 660 0405
Email: phil.yaffe@yahoo.com
Rate this Article:
Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/making-sense-of-nonsense-writing-advice-from-lewis-carroll-and-the-jabberwocky-384660.html
About the Author:Philip Yaffe is a former writer with The Wall Street Journal and international marketing communication consultant. Now semi-retired, he teaches courses in persuasive communication in Brussels, Belgium. Because his clients use English as a second or third language, his approach to writing and public speaking is somewhat different from other communication coaches. He is the author of In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional. Contact: phil.yaffe@yahoo.com.
|
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free! |
|
Related Articles
What You Should Know About Optical Migraine
By: Andreas Lillebo | 30/01/2007 | Non-Fiction
Even though optical migraines do not have any specific definition, the general belief of an optical migraine is, one that includes a vision disturbance is known as an "aura".
Why Johnny Can't Write
By: Mark Pennington | 29/08/2007 | Education
Article offers tips to improve learning how or teaching how to write essays.
How Verbal Variety Kills Comprehension
By: Philip Yaffe | 11/06/2008 | Non-Fiction
Some writers will do nearly anything to avoid repeating a word to achieve "verbal variety". The fact is, judicious repetition aids readability and comprehension while varied vocabulary can actually harm it. The trick is to know when to be the same and when to be different.
Ucla Basketball Tickets - Is A Sleeping Giant Awakening?
By: Jay Nault | 18/03/2007 | Basketball
UCLA basketball tickets have long been special for many, many reasons. When you think of sports dynasties, you think of Lombardi's Packers, Auerbach's Celtics, the Yankees of several eras and the Montreal Canadiens. Wooden's Bruins can stand up to every one of them and then some. Listing...
Neuheisel Returns to College Coaching
By: Julie Smith | 06/01/2008 | Basketball
Rick Neuheisel is returning to UCLA, the school where he achieved the best moments of his career as a quarterback. He began his playing career at UCLA in 1979 as a non scholarship player on special teams where few years later he was named the Most Value Player in UCLA’s 1984 Rose Bowl victory. The 46-years-old comes to his Alma Mater team to replace Karl Dorrell who was fired on December 3 after five seasons.
Is Weight Watchers Making False Claims by Suggesting Their Program Embraces Non Diet Approach?
By: Andrea Amador | 16/01/2008 | Health
Are you a woman still hanging onto the quick fix promise that comes with dieting and food programs? Despite years of frustration and struggle with dieting organizations, are you willing to consider if there might be an alternative to dieting. This article details the fact that diets don't work and that Weight Watchers is attempting to position themselves as a non diet approach.
Say Goodbye to Food and Weight Obsession: Change your Thoughts to Shape your Body Without Dieting
By: Andrea Amador | 01/02/2008 | Health
Body and weight obsession has become a national pastime. Nearly 4 out of 5 women hate their bodies.If you're a woman who has struggled for years with being overweight, feeling afraid of eating real food, caught in a cycle of binging and dieting, then this article will guide you to take the steps to get free of food and weight obsession.
Data Mining or Data Search - What is the Difference and Why Will it Make the Difference in the Future?
By: Stig Kristoffersen | 16/02/2008 | Technology
Today all of us do our data search on internet today with an internet search engine like www.google.com or www.yahoo.com or its likes. Anyone knows that it is not rare to get hits by the millions for one search alone. In best cases we get only a couple of 10’s of thousands of hits on our keyword we searched for. How is it possible for us to extract any knowledge from all these hits we encounter from our searches? And how do we qualify the hits we get from these as well?
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is that a rug on the carpet?
By: JewelBoxBabe | 17-07-2008
I got a burning question about Brad Pitt...
Is that a toupee he's sporting in the picture on the Red Carpet?
The one in which Anjelina Jolier-Than-Thou seems to be wearing some sort of parachute?
Mixs
By: kathy swanson | 15-07-2008
are there any mixs of house whole idems that blocks hunger
Scared 2
By: caycay69 | 14-07-2008
should hulk hogan be scared for nick hogan's life bescause frank graziano is threatning to kill him.
Is jesse martin from law and order gay, have a ...
By: linda | 13-07-2008
is jesse martin from law and order gay, have a girlfriend, or married?
Laura Cloud and Henry Rollins
By: athina | 04-07-2008
Does anyone have pictures or information on Laura Cloud. She helped Henry Rollins start Illierati Press, which led to 2.13.61 publications
Scared
By: caycay69 | 04-07-2008
Should Hulk Hogan be cared for Nick Hogan's life?
Q&A Powered by: 
More from Philip Yaffe
Pithy Prose: the Wit & Wisdom of Anon
By: Philip Yaffe | 12/07/2008 | Quotes
"Pithy prose" are quotations that say more in one or two sentences than could be expressed in a thousand-word treatise. They are like pouring a liter of liquid into a half-liter bottle. A few people (e.g. Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde) produced pithy prose, in their hundreds. Others only a handful, but these too are well worth preserving. This article is dedicated to the wit and wisdom of the most prolific source of all: Anonymous.
Don't Write Short Texts. Write Concise Ones
By: Philip Yaffe | 12/07/2008 | Non-Fiction
"Short" and "concise" are often considered to be synonyms. Being short is only half of what conciseness is all about. Understanding and applying the other half can dramatically improve the quality of your writing and speaking.
Political Integrity: an Example Out of Africa
By: Philip Yaffe | 12/07/2008 | Politics
We live in a cynical age where the values of truth, honesty and integrity seem to be cruelly lacking, especially among politicians. Here is an example of impeccable political integrity out of Africa. It is not Nelson Mandela, but Mr. Mandela would certainly be proud to have his name mentioned in the same breath with this sterling example.
Pithy Prose: the Wit & Wisdom of People Named 'h'
By: Philip Yaffe | 28/06/2008 | Quotes
"Pithy prose" are quotations that say more in one or two sentences than could be expressed in a thousand-word treatise. They are like pouring a liter of liquid into a half-liter bottle. A few people (e.g. Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde) produced pithy prose, in their hundreds. Others only a handful, but these too are well worth preserving. This article is dedicated to the wit and wisdom of people with surnames beginning with "H".
Shakespeare: What Can a Great Poet Teach Us About Clear, Concise Expository Writing?
By: Philip Yaffe | 28/06/2008 | Non-Fiction
William Shakespeare was unquestionably one of the world's greatest poets and playwrights; his way with words was inimitable. So what can this incomparable genius of evocative fiction teach us about writing clear, concise non-fiction? You'd be amazed!
How to Apply the Three Acid Tests of Persuasive Writing
By: Philip Yaffe | 28/06/2008 | Non-Fiction
"If you don't know what you are looking for, you are unlikely to find it, even if it's right in front of your nose." -- Anon. The three "acid tests" of persuasive writing tell you exactly what to look for when writing and editing your own texts, or when evaluating and approving those of others.
How Verbal Variety Kills Comprehension
By: Philip Yaffe | 11/06/2008 | Non-Fiction
Some writers will do nearly anything to avoid repeating a word to achieve "verbal variety". The fact is, judicious repetition aids readability and comprehension while varied vocabulary can actually harm it. The trick is to know when to be the same and when to be different.
Myths and Realities of Writing for the Web
By: Philip Yaffe | 11/06/2008 | Non-Fiction
It is often said that writing for the Web is fundamentally different from other types of writing. It isn't. Good writing is good writing whether it is printed on paper or on a screen. Because of this erroneous belief, some advice given about writing for the Web is significantly detrimental.
|
|
Writing 
