ABSTRACT
With regard to suppression a few final remarks may not be out of place here.l It has been said (C. Alphonso Smith, Studies in Engl. Syntax, 1906, p. 3) that "verbs denote activity and change: they are hustling and fussy," and that therefore the omission of verbs gives the impression of calm. This is exemplified by Tennyson's In Memoriam, XI (Calm and deep peace on this high wold, etc.). But as a matter of fact the impression there is produced in the first place by the constant repetition of the word calm and its synonyms, and secondly by the fact that the verb omitted is one of rest, "is." If verbs of motion are omitted, their suppression may inversely strengthen the impression of unrest, as in the following example: "Then rapidly to the door, down the steps, out into the street, and without looking to right or left into the automobile, and in three minutes to Wall Stroot with utter disregard of police regulations and speed limits," or in Longfellow's description of Paul Revere's ride: "A hurry of hoofs in a village street, A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark, And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet." As in these cases a. feeling of terseness and of vigour is also produced by the omission of verbs in a great many proverbial locutions, apophthegms, party devices, and similar sayings. G." Ende gut, alles gut" is more pithy than E. "All is well that ends well," Fr. "Tout est bien qui finit bien," Dan. " NAr enden er god, er alting godt." Cpo also: "Like master, like man " I " Every man to his taste" \ "No cure, no pay" I " Once a clergyman, always a clergynlan " "Least said, soonest mended," "One man, one vote," etc. By
leaving out what may seem superfluous one creates the impression of hurry or stress of business which does not allow time enough to round off one's sentences in the usual way: it is also of importance that proverbs, etc., should be easy to remember and therefore not too long. In these cases, however, it is not the fact that a verb is omitted which produces the effect, for we have other abbreviated proverbs, etc., in which a similar effect is produced though they contain verbs: "Live and learn" I " Rule a wife and have a wife" I "Spare the rod and spoil the child ,. I " Love me, love my dog." 1 In both classes of sayings the usual sentence-construction with subject and finite verb is abandoned in favour of something which may be compared to a Japanese drawing, in which the contours are not completely filled in; the very boldness of such a drawing assists in bringing about an artistic effect by leaving more to the imagination of the beholder. And our grammatical phenomenon thus turns out to be one little part of the ever-standing war between classicism and impressionism.
