February 2007

I don't hear as much as I used to about The Elements of Style, the "little book" by William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White that many writers once considered to be an indispensible tool to guide them in their craft. I was introduced to Strunk and White in college by an instructor who told me to "revisit it every year, whether or not you think you need to." I have since passed on that advice to anyone who is serious about learning to write well.

For those who haven't heard of it, The Elements of Style originated as a "little book" that William Strunk (1869 – 1946) wrote and used in his English class at Cornell. In 1919, E. B. White (1899 – 1985), who was later to become a well-known author of children's books (e.g., Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little) and essayist, was one of Strunk's students.

Years later, in the 1950s, White revisited Strunk's "little book" and published a slghtly revised edition. Instantly recognized as a masterpiece of brevity and good sense, it became a staple in many composition classes, and White published several more editions. Even more editions have been published since White's death, but, like the earlier editions, each has been almost entirely a replicate of Strunk's "little book," and, quite rightly, William Strunk's name continues to appear first when the authors are listed on the cover, even though E. B. White has the better-known name.

It is indeed a little book, embracing approximately 100 pages even in its more expansive editions – including its Table of Contents, Introduction, and index (added only in later editions). Small as it is, I dare say that any writer who can absorb and apply merely a fraction of the principles in it would be a much better writer as a result. Its "elementary rules of usage," "elementary principles of composition," and "approach to style" comprise just about everything anyone needs to know about effective writing – and everything that many of us, alas, tend to forget – which is why I advise writers (and remind myself) to revisit it every year.

The Elements of Style is a "little book" in another sense, too. It is unassuming and straightforward, stating each point authoritatively but plainly. Though it gives some examples, it is not burdened with them, for it is its own example. It says "be brief," and it is; it says "omit needless words," and it does. It is often witty, but one never gets the impression that the authors are enamored of their own wit. Rather, it comes across as a natural wit, which is quite appropriate because the importance of writing naturally is a dominant theme in the section on style. "Write in a way that comes naturally," says one of the reminders about style. Others say: "Avoid fancy words," "Do not affect a breezy manner," and "Prefer the standard to the offbeat."

The guidelines in The Elements of Style are so sensible that no writer with common sense could have cause to argue with them. When I go back to it (as I often do, following my own advice), I have mixed emotions. On one hand, I am struck again by how supremely sensible and simple its rules are. On the other, I become painfully aware that I often let my style slip and become terribly sef-conscious. Self-consciousness about one's style is good up to a point, but too much of it can cause writer's cramp. I am fortunate in that following the rules of grammar and usage has become largely automatic, but abiding by the principles of style still is not. I must work on it. Following the rules of style is one of those practices that must be categorized as "simple but not easy," like keeping New Year's resolutions. I know quite well what I should do, but doing it is another matter.

Difficult as it may be to always adhere to The Elements of Style, I cannot understand why many writers, even professionals, can get so far off the mark. Some columnists (George Will comes to mind) often write as if they have an aversion to simplicity and brevity. The use of wordy, vague, unspecific, or pretentious prose may perhaps be pardoned in some contexts (politics, for example), but otherwise there is no excuse for lack of clarity. As I read somewhere, "The writer's job is to make the reader's task easy."

Some people may think that The Elements of Style is too old to be relevant today. They are wrong. Much modern writing has indeed drifted away from the clarity and brevity that Strunk and White emphasize, but this doesn't prove that The Elements of Style is old-fashioned. It suggests that, more than ever, we need to heed the advice of this little book.

NOTE: I have not offered much about the specific contents of The Elements of Style because the complete text is available at several websites, one of which is linked in the first paragraph of this article.