A.-SIMPLE SENTENCES. 1. Spring, that most delightful season, comes back to us with showers. 2. A hay-field with its sweet scent invites most people to rest. 3. Man is a composite animal. B.-COMPOUND SENTENCES. 1. The way was long, the wind was cold, the minstrel was infirm and old. 1. Now let us sing, "Long live the king.' 2. I know a bank whereon the wild thyme grows. (b) Adjective,, qualifying bank (object) (a) Noun sentence taking place of Object in Principal. (c) I lurk there (c) Adverbial Predicate PARAPHRASE. 1. Paraphrase, Prose.-Paraphrase is turning a sentence into different words. It is difficult to give precise rules for doing this, but the great thing to be attempted is to understand thoroughly the meaning of the writer, and then to express it clearly and intelligently in your own words; after doing this compare your paraphrase with the original, and see whether it expresses all that the writer does. Specimen Paraphrase of a Piece of Prose. John Adams, the second President of the United States, used to relate the following anecdote : "When I was a boy I used to study the Latin grammar, but it was dull, and I hated it. My father was anxious to send me to college, and therefore I studied the grammar till I could bear it no longer, and going to my father I told him I did not like study, and asked for some other employment. "It was opposing his wishes, and he was quick in his answer: 'Well, John, if Latin grammar does not suit you, you may try ditching; perhaps that will; my meadow garden needs a ditch, and you may put by Latin and try that.' This seemed a delightful change, and to the meadow I went; but I soon found ditching harder than Latin, and the first forenoon was the longest I ever experienced. That day I ate the bread of labour, and right glad was I when night came on. That night I made some comparison between Latin and ditching, but said not a word about it. I dug next forenoon, but wanted to return to Latin at dinner; but it was humiliating, and I could not do it. At night toil conquered pride, and though it was one of the severest trials I ever had in my life, I told my father that if he chose I would go back to Latin grammar. He was glad of it, and if I have ever since gained any distinction, it has been owing to the two days' labour in that abominable ditch." Paraphrase. The story that follows was often told by John Adams, the second President of the United States. "In my younger days I had to learn the Latin grammar, but it did not interest me, and I greatly disliked it. My father wished me very much to go to college, and so I worked at the grammar till I grew thoroughly tired of it, and then I went to my father, and telling him I could not bear Learning any longer, begged him to find me something to do. 6 "I was now going in opposition to what he wished, and he answered quickly, Well, John, if Latin grammar is not to your mind, you may see how you like ditching my field, there wants a ditch; so set aside your Latin, and go to work at that.' "I was highly pleased at the prospect of such a change, so I started for the field; but I discovered before long that making ditches was not so easy to me as learning Latin, and I never knew so long a morning as my first one at ditching. I earned the bread of that day, and heartily rejoiced when my work was ended. I then compared Latin and ditching, but told no one my thoughts about either. Next morning I worked again at ditching, but by noon I longed to return to my Latin. This was, however, a humiliation from which I shrank. At the end of the day my pride had been overcome by hard work, and although it was one of the most difficult things I ever had to do, I said to my father that, if he was willing, I would undertake my Latin again. He was gratified at this; and if in my after life I have in any way distinguished myself, it is the result of my two days' toil in that detestable ditch. 2. Direct and Indirect Narration.-Direct narration is when the actual words of the speaker are given as he utters them; indirect is when some one else describes the statements of the speaker. In the former case the first person will be used, and in the latter case the third. The difference between the two is very obvious. Suppose a boy named John to be describing in direct narration a walk he took. He will say, "I went down to the river side, and then after speaking to a man whom I met, I took a boat and floated down with the tide." But supposing we describe this in indirect narration, we shall say, "John said that he went down to the river side, and that then after speaking to a man whom he met, he took a boat and floated down with the tide." It will be noticed that in the newspaper reports of debate in Parliament, the speeches of eminent men are reported in direct narration; or the actual words they used, but those of less eminent men in indirect narration. The following is an example of direct narration from Lord Brougham's speech on Negro Slavery: : “I trust that at length the time is come when Parliament will no longer bear to be told that slaveowners are the best lawgivers on slavery; no longer suffer our voice to roll across the Atlantic in empty warnings and fruitless orders. Tell me not of rightstalk not of the property of the planter in his slaves. I deny his right-I acknowledge not the property. The principles and feelings of our common nature rise in rebellion against it." Paraphrased into indirect narration it will run as follows:Lord Brougham said that he trusted that at length the time was come when Parliament would no longer bear to be told that slaveowners were the best lawgivers on slavery, and no longer suffer its voice to roll across the Atlantic in empty warnings and fruitless orders. It was no use to tell him of the rights, or to talk of the property of the planter in his slaves, for he denied his right and acknowledged not the property; for (he said) that the principles and the feelings of our common nature rose in rebellion against it. 3. Paraphrase of Poetry into Prose.-The following hints will be found useful: (1) The lines having been chosen, read the piece carefully over, in order clearly to understand its meaning. (2) More or less of inversion or ellipsis being always used in poetry, the passage should next be transposed, that is to say, the words should be rearranged in their prose order, the long sentences broken up into short ones when necessary, and the requisite ellipses supplied. (3) Remembering that it is not wise, even if practicable, to change every word in making a paraphrase, determine next what words, epithets, or expressions occurring in the passage ought to be changed for others, and why. Then put in their equivalents. (4) If figures of speech occur, such as are not commonly found prose, determine where it is essential to the sense, force, or beauty of the passage that the figure should be retained in the paraphrase; where the metaphor may be changed into the simile, &c.; where the simile, metaphor, &c., may be exchanged for the corresponding non-figurative expression with advantage. in (5) Lastly, examine the composition carefully, prune it of all unnecessary words, rearrange it so as to make it read well, and then compare it with the original to see how far the exact meaning of the poet has been comprehended, and whether that meaning has been fully and adequately rendered in the prose paraphrase. Example of Paraphrase. "A man, severe he was, and stern to view; I knew him well, and every truant knew. Well had the boding tremblers learned to trace Full well they laughed, with counterfeited glee, The love he bore to learning was in fault." GOLDSMITH. The Paraphrase.-The village schoolmaster was a man of severe character and stern appearance. He was well known to me and to every boy who stayed away from school to play. trembling children, full of forebodings, could tell from his countenance in the morning the kind of treatment they might expect during the day. They would laugh with feigned delight at all the jokes he so often made. If he looked angry or displeased, the gloomy news was soon busily whispered throughout the school from one to another. In spite of all his sternness, however, he had a kind beart; and if at times he was harsh, his love of learning must bear the blame. "At once, as far as angel's ken, he views As one great furnace, flamed, yet from those flames Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace With ever-burning sulphur unconsumed." MILTON. Paraphrase.-Glancing around as far as the sight of an angel could extend, Satan saw the dreary, desolate, and wild place into which he had fallen. It was a dungeon presenting a horrible aspect on every side, and flames issued from it as they would from an enormous furnace. No light, however, came from these flames, but intense darkness seemed to come instead; and this helped to make manifest scenes of misery and regions of gloom and doleful darkness, in which neither peace nor rest could be found, and from which hope, that cheers the souls of all, was quite excluded. Never-ending torture is the portion of all here, and they are continually pursued by a fiery deluge, the sulphurous fire of which, though always burning, remains unconsumed. |