PARAPHRASING. The verb "paraphrase" is derived from the Greek words, para (beside, near), and phrazo (I say), and signifies properly to say the same thing in other words. A paraphrase is an explanation of a passage of poetry or prose expressed in a clear and simple manner, so as to bring out the meaning of the author distinctly, forcibly, and completely. A paraphrase resembles a translation so far as it is an expression of a given passage in other words. It differs from a translation by rendering the meaning of the passage in the language in which it was originally written. The following remarks, with examples on English paraphrasing, may be useful to the student. 1. A paraphrase should be written in simple language, and express every idea contained in the original passage in the clearest possible manner. 2. A paraphrase should be written in good modern English, with due regard to a proper choice of words, elegance of style, and perspicuity of expression. 3. Any inversions contained in the original passage, should be reduced to their natural prose order. Thus: adjectives following nouns, nominatives coming after the verbs to which they form the subjects, prepositions placed after the objects they govern, should all be transferred to their proper positions. The following are examples :-"The last leave of thee takes my weeping eye"="My weeping eye takes the last leave of thee."-Shakspeare. "Underneath this marble hearse lies the subject of all verse = "The subject of all verse lies under this marble hearse."-Fonson. "His horse, who never in that sort had handled been before, what thing upon his back had got did wonder more and more"="His horse, who had never been handled in that sort before, did wonder more and more what thing had got upon his back."-Cowper. 4. Obscure expressions should be explained. In many cases it will be necessary to amplify the passage, as the obscurity often arises from extreme conciseness on the part of the author, especially in poetry. The student should, however, avoid being diffuse, employing no more words than are necessary. Other things being equal, the best paraphrase will be that which expresses the full meaning of the author in words most nearly approximating in number to those contained in the original passage. The following are instances of expressions which would require to be explained in a paraphrase :—“ The winking of authority"="The slightest sign or hint given by those in power."-Shakspeare. "Interlace not business but of necessity”=“Do not mix up one affair with another, if you can possibly avoid it.”—Bacon. "Week in, week out"="From the beginning of the week till the end of it."-Longfellow. Pope says: "What sin, to me unknown, dipped me in ink, my parents' or my own;" meaning-"Was it my own sin or my parents' which caused me to take to writing, and so involved me in all the cares and worries of authorship." (For other examples see notes to Poetry and Prose in First, Second, Third, and Fourth Years.) 5. Elliptical expressions should generally be completed by supplying the missing words. Thus: "I must to Coventry" I must go to Coventry."-Shakspeare. "Who lives by rule then, keeps good company"="He who lives by rule then, keeps good company."-Herbert. "Full fifty years were passed and all forgot"="Full fifty years were passed and all was forgot."-Rogers. "The grass which now beneath them, but above shall grow in its next verdure"="The grass which now grows beneath them, but shall grow above them in its next verdure."-Byron. 6. Obsolete words and meanings, as well as grammatical inflections and constructions which have fallen out of use, should be rendered by their modern equivalents. Forms and usages of this kind will be frequently met with in our older writers, as Shakspeare, Spenser, Chaucer, etc. Many occur in the authorized translation of the Bible. The following are examples (a) From Shakspeare:-" More elder," for "elder"; "How much more elder art thou than thy looks." "Still," for "always"; The world is still deceived by ornament." "Little wots," for "little knows." (6) From Chaucer :-" Whilom," for "once, formerly." "Swiche," for such." "My peple me constreineth for to take another wif, and crien day by day; and eke the Pope rancour for to slake consenteth it"= My people urge me to take another wife, and cry out day after day; and also the Pope consents to it, in order to allay the public discontent." (c) From the Authorized Version :-" Divers," for "different." "Which," for "who"; "There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard." But as touching the resurrection of the dead "=" But with regard to the resurrection of the dead." 66 7. Poetical expressions should be reduced to simple prose equivalents. The force of metaphors or other figures of speech should be clearly brought out in plain, simple, and elegant language. Here it will frequently be necessary to amplify, since a complete picture will in poetry often be comprised in a single word. The following are examples of the poetical expressions alluded to under this head. Shakspeare speaks of "the silver rivers," that is, "the rivers filled with water shining in the sun and looking like silver." He alludes to the "Sun of Bolingbroke," meaning the prosperity of Bolingbroke, standing out full and brilliant like the sun in the firmament. Again, he says of Bolingbroke, "His treasons will sit blushing in his face," that is, "His treachery will be apparent to every one by the look of shame which will be seen on his countenance." Byron writes ; "The mountains look on Marathon," that is, "The mountains rise up over Marathon, or form a lofty boundary to it." Browning says, "Up leaped of a sudden the sun," meaning simply 66 The sun rose suddenly." When Macaulay, referring to Horatius, writes: "And our good father Tiber bare bravely up his chin," he is only stating in poetical language, that "he succeeded in keeping his head above the water of the River Tiber." 8. At first sight it may appear easier to paraphrase prose than poetry. This is not the case, however. It is more difficult to paraphrase prose than poetry, and the reasons for this are obvious after a little reflection. A passage written in prose is already in prose, the author has probably selected just those words and phrases which express his meaning best; and it is often difficult, or even impossible, to find others which can be substituted for the original ones without injuring the force and beauty of the author's work. Hence, in paraphrasing prose passages, it is sometimes necessary to adopt some of the words and phrases of the author without alteration. On the other hand, the style and modes of expression of poetry differ widely from those of prose, and therefore the ideas contained in a poetical passage admit more readily of being transferred to another and different kind of composition. It is often very difficult to find one prose expression to replace another prose expression with advantage, while it is easy to discover a prose expression which may be suitably employed instead of a poetical expression. (9) In writing a prose paraphrase, a poetical style should be avoided. Metaphors and other figures of speech should, as a rule, not be used, as they are better adapted to poetry. If employed at all, they should be used sparingly, with good taste, in clear and simple language, and with a view to illustrating, rather than to embellishing, the subject treated of. Before giving examples of paraphrasing, we add two short hints of a general kind, which we think may be useful to our young readers. (a) Before commencing a paraphrase, examine the passage carefully throughout, and be quite sure that you thoroughly understand it. You cannot well convey, in words of your own, the meaning of a passage which you only imperfectly comprehend. (b) Let your main object be, not so much to follow the words of the passage, with the object of merely substituting others to supply their places, as to grasp the ideas of the author, and then to express the meaning of them in your own language. (1) Examples of Paraphrasing. "Sweet was the sound, when oft at evening's close There as I passed, with careless steps and slow, Paraphrase. It was pleasant when the evening came on to mount the neighbouring hill, and listen to the subdued tones which ascended from the village beneath. There, pacing to and fro, quietly and leisurely, I could hear the various sounds which, blended together, and subdued by distance, rose up from the plain. The voice of the ploughman answering to the song of the milkmaid, the lowing of the peaceful kine at the sight of their calves, the clamour of the geese that cackled in the pond, the shouts of merry children filled with joy on their release from school, the barking of the watch-dog at the rustling of the wind, the boisterous laugh which indicated a freedom from thought and cares: all these sounds, delightfully intermingled, arose in the evening twilight, and filled up the intervals between the songs of the nightingale. (2) "It is worthy the observing, that there is no passion in the mind of man so weak, but it mates and masters the fear of death; and therefore death is no such terrible enemy when a man hath so many attendants about him that can win the combat of him. Revenge triumphs over death; love slights it; honour aspireth to it; grief flieth to it; fear preoccupateth it; nay, we read, after Otho the emperor had slain himself, pity |