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edge, whether by tongue or pen. pen. Life and our own brains give us the materials; but it is necessary to increase our acquaintance with the first, and stir up the activity of the second. And it is also necessary before one begins to compose, to know how much we intend to write or talk about, and to keep within the limits set. The choice of a good title really sums up the whole matter, for a good title shows that the writer or speaker has something to say, and knows how he intends to say it.

EXERCISES

I. What is the difference between a subject and a title?

II. Limit by making more specific the following subjects for compositions:

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III. Limit these subjects still further by making a title for each. IV. Give the subjects mentioned on pages 6 and 7 more specific and more interesting titles.

V. Work back through as many steps as possible to the generic subjects to which the following belong :

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VI. (a) Draw up a list of general subjects upon which you feel

able to write or talk.

(b) For each one of these subjects devise one or more titles for compositions which could be written with the time at your disposal.

VII. Prepare a list of five good titles chosen from stories that you

have read.

CHAPTER II

SHAPING THE MATERIAL

The Plan in Nature. Everything in the world about us appears in parts or divisions. The day, the month, the seasons, all fall into divisions with which we are perfectly familiar. Nature is always regular and ordered. To be haphazard, irregular, "mixed up," is unnatural. We are creatures of nature, and everything we do must follow her laws. If we are impressed by a certain rural scene, and contemplate it for a moment, we see that it is constituted of certain parts. There are hills, valleys, verdure, buildings, etc. It is impossible for us to think of a scene without being conscious in our thought of certain landmarks that stand out prominently in the scene. If we think of the ocean, we immediately "sub-think" water, color, waves, etc. If we contemplate a bridge, we at once image arches, spans, approaches, ironwork, etc. We could multiply these illustrations ad infinitum, but it is not necessary, because the truth of the statement is so obvious. In the most trivial affairs of our lives from our rising on Monday morning to Saturday's ball game we have a definite plan of procedure in mind all the time. We cannot get away from the

plan-habit if we would.

Laws of Planning. Unity. But since plan making is natural, it is governed naturally by certain laws. Let us suppose for a moment that we are writing upon baseball and have chosen for title, "The Baseball Diamond." In

stantly the subject begins to split into divisions or topics: the ground, the size, the shape, the bases, etc. But if we are thinking loosely, other topics related to our subject, but not a part of it, will intrude themselves. Shall we begin with a long introduction about the state of the weather at the time of the last big game? Should we say something about the fielders? Of course not, though we must clearly explain and picture the field. Shall we mention the batsman? No, but we must of course explain the home plate. We must reject every item that does not pertain to the subject suggested in our title "The Baseball Diamond." Sticking to the subject will give to our finished work a quality which no good work can be without; namely, oneness or unity. In other words, all of our topics must bear upon the subject and we must omit no one that belongs to it. There must be Unity in our completed work.

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Indication of Unity. But we must do more than secure Unity; we must show that we have secured it. In order to make the oneness of our discussion clear, it is allimportant that every topic should state definitely its relation to the subject. Accept a little counsel here which, although it may seem irksome, will save you endless trouble and your reader endless confusion. Represent every topic by a complete sentence, with subject and predicate. A sentence has to state something; and thus you will have to state in your topic what part of your subject you are there treating. This caution, if observed, will almost in itself guarantee the observance of Unity, and will make it certain that each of your sections in the written-out theme will show just where it belongs in the article. Unnumbered difficulties in articles, in textbooks, in letters, as well as in school compositions, follow upon a failure to say just what it is that you are trying to bring out in a given topic, a failure to indicate Unitÿ.

For example, if instead of writing the plan of your comThe Baseball Diamond as follows:

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1. The ground.

2. The size.

3. The shape.

4. The bases.

5. The catcher's box, etc.,

you should put it this way:

1. The ground must be in proper condition.

2. The size must be that given in the rules of the game.

3. The shape must be square.

4. The bases must be four in number.

5. The catcher's box must be placed directly behind the home plate, etc.,

you will be much more sure to stick to your subject, and to tie up, so to speak, each paragraph to your title. In a more difficult subject, as, for example, "The Advantages of Underground Railroads in Great Cities," this practice is even more advantageous. Think out your topics in good sentences. Write them down as such.

EXERCISES

I. Outline orally or in writing one or more of the following subjects, taking pains to preserve Unity, and to indicate the connection between each heading and the title:

Why I Came to School.

What I Hoped to Accomplish in School.

How I Learned to Play Football (or Basketball).

The Best Way to Spend a Saturday Evening.

II. Criticize this list of topics for Unity and for the indications of Unity in the headings:

HOW TO CHOOSE A CAREER

1. How I felt when I found that I had to write a composition. 2. The choice of a career should be determined by your capabilities and your opportunities.

3. Mechanical ability.

4. Much manufacturing in some cities.

5. Some go to college, others do not.

6. Civil engineers in great demand just now.

7. If your father is in business and has an opening for you, it would be well for you to prepare for a business career.

8. The career should fit the woman or the man.

9. The management of the home is the noblest and most diffiIcult of all careers.

III. Rewrite and revise this list of topics.

Coherence.

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While The Baseball Diamond is still just a group of topics in the writer's mind, ready to be either written or "talked," another principle of composition forces itself upon your attention. There is a natural way of grouping these topics, and there is an unnatural way. In our illustration, for instance, we would not write or speak about the field and then about the catcher's box; about the third base and then about the batter's box. This would be awkward. No, we would at the very outset write of the ground, its size, shape, and condition. Then we would arrange perhaps to talk about the three important positions-pitcher's box, batter's box, and catcher's box. Then, perhaps, we would discuss all the bases together; and later, the fielders' positions. In other words, we should aim to group like elements together and to place near one another in our composition those parts of our subject that are close together in reality. We recognize when we see things that there is a certain natural relation among their parts. In telling about these things, then, we will naturally observe the same

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