Francis Bacon Prose style | Stylistic Qualities of

Bacon’s Essays
Francis Bacon has widely been read all over the
world not only because of his philosophy but also
because of his prose style. There are certain stylistic
qualities in Bacon’s essays due to which he gained
fame. Generally, he is known as father of English
prose. He does not only laid the foundation of
English Essays but also created a proper writing
style. Bacon is famous because of the charm in his
stylistic qualities. F.G. Selby appreciated Bacon’s
contribution in following words:

“Part of Bacon’s influence is of course due to the

charm of his style”

F.G. Selby – on prose style of Francis Bacon

Indeed, prose style of sir Francis Bacon is
remarkable. Let’s find out some advance features in
it. However, before doing so, it is necessary to have
knowledge about prose style of former writers so
that we can compare it with Sir Francis Bacon.

Former writers’ Prose Style:

Many writers have contributed in keeping prose up-
to-date. It was already developed even then it had
some drawbacks. Some of the great writers like
Raleigh and Hooker were writing prose yet their
style of writing was much serious as compared to
Sir Francis Bacon due to which it was difficult to
write on common topics. Apart from them, some
skilled writers had also shortcomings in their writing
styles. For instance, length of sentences was too
long. Essays were too studious hence extra
knowledge was required to read them. Latin words,
far-fetched similes and remote metaphors created
difficulties for the readers. They lead the readers
into obscurity. Practice of using parenthesis was
common resulted in ruining the real taste of essays.

Prose Style of Francis Bacon:

Francis Bacon reformed the English prose style by
reducing all above said shortcomings. It is not
wrong to say that Francis Bacon introduced a new
style of prose writing. Following are some stylistic
qualities of Bacon’s essays.

Short and concise sentences.

No Parenthesis.
Clarity.
Rhythm and Coherence.
Aphoristic style.
Themes related to worldly wisdom.
Conciseness as one of the major stylistic qualities
of Francis Bacon:
Bacon uses short and concise sentences. His
purpose is to explain his philosophy in lesser words.
We hardly find any essay which is too long. It is
easier for him to cut short the long sentences. A
message which requires a paragraph, he can convey
it in fewer words and that too without loosing its
meanings. Scarcely, any other writer of his era has
this kind of ability. In short, he keeps his subject
focused, clear and concise.

No Parenthesis:
Bacon has also removed parenthesis. He has no
sentence that requires explanation; therefore, he
does not need parenthesis. This stylistic quality of
Bacon’s essays, increases interest of readers. Every
word is self-explanatory; each sentence explains
itself.

Clarity in Prose Style of Francis Bacon:

Bacon’s words and sentences are lucid and there is
no ambiguity in them. There are allusions in his
essays even then there is no vagueness. His style
has attraction and it appeals to the readers due to
clarity. He chooses simple and common words. Like
previous writers, he too uses similes and metaphors
but they are not far-fetched. He also gives examples
mostly from everyday life experiences. Even a
layman can understand his philosophy. Clarity, in
this way, is another important ingredient of prose
style of Sir Francis Bacon.

Rhythm and Coherence:

Besides, clarity and conciseness, coherence has its
own importance. Lack of coherence in sentences
means lack of interest of readers. Bacon knows it;
therefore, there is a kind of rhythm in his essays. He
elucidates his philosophy step by step. He divides
subtopics in paragraphs. Several critics appreciate
coherence in Bacon’s essays. Coherence is harmony
and harmony increases the interest of readers.

Aphoristic style:
It is an epigrammatic style of writing. All above
mentioned qualities fall in it. Aphoristic style prefers
describing facts and truths. We know that Francis
Bacon does not create Utopian world in his essays.
He is known for his worldly philosophy. One can
become successful in this wold if he follows him.
Hence, his philosophy is based on truths and facts.
He may be the meanest kind of person yet he
always speaks the truth.

Aphoristic style is the combination of following

qualities:

 Epigram
 Straightforward
 Truthfulness
 Impartiality
 Impersonality
All above qualities are there in his essays. These
make prose style of Francis Bacon charming as
pointed out by F.G. Selby.
Themes:
So far as themes of his essays are concerned, we
know that Bacon was the man of world and a
politician. Most of the themes used by him are
related to:

Worldly wisdom.
Ethical qualities.
Government.
State.
Science.
His experience, in every field of life, is magnificent
thus he shares it with his readers. He is a moralist
though his morality is related to worldly success. His
thematic concept is more related to word. His
approach is Machiavellian and by giving solid
examples from history, he proves it right. He prefers
success to honour. As an opportunist, he suggests
to avail every opportunity. Effectiveness of his style
forces his readers to think twice on a matter.

Weaknesses in Prose Style of Francis Bacon:

There are some weaknesses which are noteworthy.
Sometimes his grammatical structure looses. He
makes his sentences concise but readers see its
effect directly on grammar. However, I must say
that it does not affect meanings of the words.
Furthermore, he uses excessive Latin phrases which
sometimes create difficulty.

Conclusion:
 Sir Francis Bacon is commonly known as father
of English prose and essays because of his style.
There is no match for him, hitherto. He had a
busy life, therefore, he hardly found time for
writing yet his talent of writing was
unsurpassed up till now. English Literature is in
debt to him for making large reformation in
English prose. Indeed, he would be
remembered every time an essay is written.