1. The trouble is <that the English nature is not at all easy to understand.

>

*The: definite article. Signals that the reader assumes there is problem. Exophoric
relationship.

<> complement to the subject

End-balanced. The verb is light to be in final position.

Presumable old information at the beginning of the sentence and new information at the
end.

2. It has a great air of simplicity, 2it advertises itself as simple, but the more we

consider it, the greater the problems we shall encounter.

It: anaphoric reference to the English nature.

The two first phrases are similar in structure (pronoun + verb+ adj-noun+ preposition+
noun). The second phrase tries to amend, explain the real meaning of the first phrase.

2
Parenthetical comment

After “but”, another couple of phrases parallel in structures appear and contrast the first
two.

3. People talk of the mysterious East, but the West also is mysterious.

Subject + verb+ prep ph as OD + coordinative conjunctive + comparative part related to

mysterious East, not to people.

The adjective mysterious as pre-modifier, is presented as a familiar characteristic of the

East, whereas the same adjective in the following clause is presented as complement to the
subject in final position as new information.

4. It has depths that do not reveal themselves <at the first gaze.>

It: refers back to West

+verb + that-relative clause modifying the object “depths”

< > at the end of th sentence gains focus

5. We know what the sea looks like from a distance: it is of one colour, and level, and
obviously cannot contain such creatures as fish

Change of subject. In the enumeration after the dots the last element is the heaviest one, to
fit the principle of end-weight

6. But if we look into the see over the edge of a boat, we see a dozen colours, and
depth below depth, and fish swimming in there.
 There is a parallelism between this sentence structure and the previous one.

7. The sea is the English character –apparently imperturbable and even.

Given plus new information. The rest of the sentence appears after a hyphen to gain focus.

Parenthetic comment

8. The depths and the coulours are the English romanticism and the English
sensitiveness –we do not expect to find such things but they exist.

Given plus new info + parenthetic explanatory info in focus

9. And- to continuous my metaphor- the fish are the English emotions, which are

always trying to get up to the surface but don’t quite know how.

10. For the most part we see them moving far below, distorted and obscure.

The adjectives are not premodifying to gain focus in final position

11. Now and then they succeed and we exclaim “Why! The Englishman has emotion!

He actually can feel!”

12. And occasionally we see that beautiful creature the flying fish, which rises

altogether into the air and the sunlight.

Now and then vs occasionally

That beautiful creature the flying fish. Preface.

13. English literature is a flying fish.

Same comparative structure. “English literature” is information already known by the reader, is

old information, what is new is the writer comparison of the English literature with a flying fish,

that’s why “flying fish” is at the end of the sentence.

14. It is a sample of the life that goes on day after day beneath the surface, it is a proof

that beauty and emotion exist in the salt inhospitable sea.

It: refers back to the flying fish, which semantically is to be interpreted as the English

literature.
Comparisons

Features of the Sea Features of the English character

Sea English character

Imperturbable and even Imperturbable and even

Depths English romanticism

Colours English sensitiveness

Fish trying to get to surface, but do not English emotions, trying to show but do not

know how know how

Flying fish English literature

Sea seen from a long distance Sea seen from a closer distance
One colour Dozen colours
One level Depth below depth
No such creature as fish Fish swimming there