STYLE AND THEME OF THE FRANCIS

BACON OF STUDIES
INTRODUCTION
Francis bacon was known as one of the greatest English philosophers, poets and scientists. He was
born at the strand, London on 22 January 1561. He was from a political family and he served as
attorney general and lord chancellor of England. Bacon was educated at Cambridge. He studied law
and was appointed as queen counsel in 1598. He also became lord high chancellor in 1618 under
King James. It was the highest judicial post in England. He was charged with accepting bribes and
was punished with imprisonment. He died of a fatal cold contraction in 1626.

BACON WAS THE FATHER OF THE ENGLISH ESSAY

Bacon was considered one of the most learned men of the sixteen century. There is an expression of
deep patriotism, patience, effort, high aims and lofty enthusiasm in the bacon essay. Bacon wrote
“histories,” in the sense of the wind of life and death. He was a moralist and his writings are full of
logic and wisdom. His essays are the result of great observations and “dispersed meditations". His
essays are full of witty remarks. His style is highly serious with quotations of universal truths and is
rightly considered an aphoristic style.

BACON’S PROSE STYLE

Bacon's prose style is remarkable for its terseness. His style is Compact and yet polished. Bacon
displays a great talent for minimizing the words of his essay and yet being intact and to the point.
There are occasional Latinisms but there is no obscurity in the expressions. Most of his essays used a
quotation from Latin writers. Every sentence in his essay is pregnant with meaning and is capable of
being expanded into several sentences. This kind of prose style creates a poetic melody in his essay.
Many of the sentences appear to be proverbial saying by their gems of thoughts expressed in a pithy
manner. It can express maximum meaning in the fewest words. His essays combine wisdom in
thoughts with extreme brevity. The short pithy sayings in his essays have become popular mottoes
and house. Bacon appears before the readers in these essays not in the character of a scientist or
philosopher, but as a man of the world. We may call him "a citizen of the world".
APHORISTIC STYLE:
The finest essay of Francis bacon is” of studies”. It has the features of aphorism. There is precision,
brevity, syllogism and empiricism of thought in this essay. Many of the lines are passed into current
quotations. The essay seems like a collection of short, pithy maxims with tremendous compression.
Every line bears deep and concentrated meaning. Serious thoughts have been expressed in a simple,
clear and brief manner. Here the emphasis is laid on the matter rather than on the manner. The
matter is grave, deep and philosophical. There are various elaborations through references or
examples. There are concise sentences, similes, and Latin phrases which strengthen his effective
arguments. Each sentence is a concentrated expression of his idea. His ideas have acquired
the universal currency in the form of proverbs. He speaks at length of the value of study,
how and why it is worthy. He has skillfully used the parallel structure of sentences. There is clarity
and order in his stylistic technique.

IMPERSONALITY
Bacon is never personal in his essay and his essay is not influenced by his life. His style is very much
clear, and impressive and not in the least bit of a confidential chat. even studies largely focus on
knowledge and learning. his essay shows an empirical approach to the view of watching the world.

DIVERSITY
Bacon is also known for the diversification in his writings. He writes on a wide range of topics but the
purpose of each differed. Bacon wrote things with the declared aim of guiding his reader in a matter
of civil and moral importance. bacon use allusion solemnly to illustrate his point and to lend weight
to his analysis.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
We might find diversification in the writings of bacon but he is specific in the language of his essay.
There is no touch of poetry in his writings. He uses figurative language most efficiently as he has
written in his various essay.

MODERNISATION
Bacon is an essayist of a different kind. We did not find that his way of thinking is in some way
influenced by the barrier of society. He suggests many things to his reader for attaining success in
worldly life. His aphoristic style of writing paves a new way of thinking for society.
DIDACTICISM
We don’t find any kind of personal views or opinions in his essay. He mostly focuses on the
philosophy of life at this point he is very much different from lamb. we find a large number of
personal accounts in lamb’s essay but bacon believed in research, analysis and logic

CONCLUSION
Bacon is the greatest of English essayist of the informative, impersonal and didactic kind, while Lamb
is the master of personal essays. Bacon is too magnificent to be humorous and Lamb is too
companionable to be stately.