Composition Writing

Source: The R. I. Schoolmaster, Vol. 2, No. 11 (JANUARY 1857), pp. 345-347

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The R. I. Schoolmaster

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 THE SCHOOLMASTEB. 345

Composition Writing. or an understanding of objects, emotions, actions

and nations; second, it is necessary to know
what words are used to name and describe those
How much do scholars dread this very agreea-
ble and profitable exercise ! And yet there isthings
ab- and their acts; here is definition; third,
solutely nothing more highly pleasing and there
even must be a practical knowledge or skill in
exciting in the whole round of school duties, theor proper arrangement of sentences, or in the
collection of words, so as to make them convey
of literary pursuits. But how to make it pleas-
ing and profitable, and how to overcome the no other meaning than the simple one we seek to
general dread which all scholars have of it,convey.
is a
great question. We propose to make an attempt Now we venture to say that any child which
to answer such a question. can talk at all, can, in a greater or less degree,
But what are we to understand by compositionmanage each of these things. He cannot de-
scribe the processes of obtaining ideas, nor the
writing ? Is it writing composition to sit down
definitions
and fill up three or four pages of foolscap with a of words, nor yet tell the rules of
learned and accurate essay on "Education," syntax. And we venture to say a child will write
" Virtue," " Knowledge," or " Sympathy," a better composition when he lacks this techni-
"Affection," "Duty," and "Happiness?" To cal knowledge than can one who has it.
write a composition must a scholar be able to How then can scholars be made to take delight
make long sentences, and sensible ones too on in writing compositions? Let us relate a fact
some hard topic, and be able to punctuate it that
all once came under our own observation, and
this shall be the whole of our diy essay.
correctly ? Is writing a composition the getting
up of something new and entertaining on any A teacher was keeping school where he knew
of the current topics of the day? We answer, the scholars could not fail to profit by composi-
No, most emphatically. They may be composi- tion-writing, but where the previous teacher had
tions, but they are not the only ones, and byattempted
no to introduce such a practice and had
means the best models for children's composi- made a complete failure in the attempt. And
tions.
this had excited a very great prejudice against
But to write a compostion as we understand it,
the whole business. The scholars, however, were
is simply to clothe an idea in words, This may many of them large, and very good grammari-
make only a single sentence. But then if that ans, and if they could be made to use their pens,
sentence expresses the whole idea, the composi- they might, as the teacher thought, be enter-
tion is then perfect and complete. If it does not tained and profited much. So after consulting
express the whole, then it is proper to inquirewith the school-committee and finding that their
what else is needed to complete it, and to set thatopinion was if possible more favorable to intro-
down also. One of the best compositions - for ducing
a this branch than his own, he determined
scholar - we ever read, was the following, On to venture, and announced that on the "Wednes-
Fishes. We give it simply as a specimen of day two weeks from that day he should expect a
what a child of very few years and few months composition from every one of his three first
in a school can do :
classes in reading. This would include about
"Fishes live in water. They like to live in twenty pupils.
water as well as we do to live on land. If theyBut now came the difficulties. These scholars
are taken out of the water they soon die, becauseagreed among themselves at once, that they
the air is too thin for them to live in. There are
would not write. They would all stand together
a great many kinds of fish, but they all have fins,
and either take or resist the punishment offered
and gills, and most of them have scales. Mostaccording as they might regard its effect upon
kinds of fish are good to eat, and they are caught
their dignity at the time of reckoning for their
by a great many fishermen, who make a living default. This was soon, of course, known to the
and a great deal of money by fishing." teacher. And he saw plainly before him a con-
Now if you will examine this simple composi- test in which defeat would be fatal, and from
tion you will find every sentence means some- which he could for a time see no evident way of
thing, and there is no repetition. Nothingescape.is This plan at length occurred to him.
attempted further than to express in words the Calling these classes out one day before the first
plain thought which the little one had. And week had passed, he asked them to take slates
this is the whole secret of composition-writing.and pencils, and be prepared to write what he
It is to put into words certain thoughts. Three should tell them. He first went to the black-
things are to engage the attention in this work.board, and writing the word " Winter," said :
There must first be ideas, knowledge of things," Who will tell me anything about Winter?"
44

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 346 THE SCHOOLMASTER.

Hands went up, and he" Is that a good

asked Jway to speak "
ames, ? or, do you know
What ?"
"It is cold." what is meant?"
"John, what?" "No, sir."
" It is icy." " Who will correct it ? "
" Susan, what ? " Half a dozen volunteered to do so, and when
"It is snowy." the teacher had written it, thus,
"Samuel, what?" " Winter nights are very dark."
"It is severe." " Is this true ? "
"Yes, sir."
"Very good. Now each one of you write
on your slates something about Winter. Don't " But does not the moon shine very brightly
often ? "
look on one another's slates, but do it all your-
selves, and try to find something, not on the " Yes, sir."
board." So another correction was voted to be made,
and after several attempts the sentence became,
They tried, and the result when read showed
such sentences as these." " Winter nights are very dark when there is no
moon to shine."
" Winter is a good time to slide down hill."
Then the next sentence was corrected, and each
" It is very frosty." " In winter we have sleigh-
scholar was asked to write the sentence then on
ing." "It is very dark nights." "We have his slate upon paper just as it stood, and keep it.
bright moonlight evenings." The next day the same course was pursued,
"Well," said he, "the first sentence shows!
each scholar writing two sentences, however, and
exactly what we are talking about, but does the
they were corrected. A few suggestions were
second sentence?" made about the proper order in winch the
"Yes," "No," "No," "Yes," said a contra- thoughts or ideas should follow each other, and
riety of voices. as to the number of things to be put into one
" What are we talking about? " sentence, and those two sentences were to be
" Winter," said all in chorus. written on the paper, under those of yesterday.
" But what does the sentence say?" The third day the same course was pursued, by
" It is very frosty." questions and answers and practical trials of
" What is very frosty." making sentences. But this day the teacher
" Winter." found that the scholars had been thinking about
" Does the sentence say so ? " " Winter," and had something to say about it,
"No, sir." too, and the difficulty was now to hinder them
" What does it say ? " from writing à dozen sentences for themselves.
"It is very frosty." All the sentences which they had that day made
" What is very frosty ? " were preserved, and at the end of the week each
"Winter." scholar had nearly a sheet full of sentences
" Then what does the sentence lack ?" about winter, and hardly any two had two alike,
"Winter," said the chorus. or very similar in thought.
" Well, put it in and read it." When the dreaded day for composition came
" Winter is very frosty," said the scholars.the class was called out with slates and papers.
" But you have now left out something." And after writing two sentences the teacher
"We must put the noun Winter in place of to see the papers. They were cheerfully
asked
the pronoun that stands for it," said one boy. handed to him, and then they were told that
" Well, this is all very well. Now in order to papers would be accepted as compositions,
these
make each of your sentences correct and easy for to
in reality this was what each one ought to be
be understood, what word must you put in called. each It is not easy to conceive how much
of them?" astonished the scholars were, nor how that aston-
" Winter," said all at once. ishment changed into delight in a short time, as
"Now," said he, writing on the blackboard they learned how to write, and began to take a
one of the sentences, " look at this and tellpride me and a pleasure in the use of their brains
what is its fault. ' It is very dark nights. ' " and pens.
" We don't know what is very dark." We may add that the term closed with a fine
" How can you know ? " exhibition of original compositions and declama-
" The scholar must tell." tions by the scholars themselves, and the next
"Who will tell?" winter compositions were so abundant as to be
a great bore to the teacher himself. One word
" Winter is very dark nights/' said several.

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 THE SCHOOLMASTER. 347

now. Teachers, don't attempt great BIS things in

John X. Jonos.
this linę. Do only a little, and that
MARK simply, and
more prcfit will come from the scholar's writing
a few simple, short, plainHere sentences,
is a scrap of poetry-than
not veryfrom
brilliant, it
his attempting to write isvery long
true - but and
very true forvery
all that, learn-
and having a
edly. moral of its own worth remembering. Wé com-
mend it to boys who go to school, and to those
who have been at school. It is entitled :
Contrariety.
The Young Marksman.
The following are specimens of letters which
we have been occasionally receiving. Please tellJohn is a youth of low degree;
us which would probably be most satisfactory ?His name swells no great pedigree;
The letters are literatim as they were received. But on the old barn's stable-doòr,
On the cross-beam, on the stall,
"Dear Mr. Schoolmaster, Please find enclosed You now may see, if you'll explore -
one dollar to pay for the 3d vol. I have had it John, cut with jack-knife over all.
two years, and do not want to know whether I
can keept school without it. I send the cash thus On the gate-post in the lane,
early because I now have a spare dollar and am Scratched with crystal on the pane,
not sure that I shall have one when the year Marked with red chalk on the hen-coop,
closes. So, lest I get poor, or forget it, I send Scrawled with charcoal on the front stoop,
now. Please send as before to Scribbled on the mantle-piece,
(Letters curved " as smooth as grease,")
Your ob't serv't,
Nov
On the front-door, in the hall -
John Jones, "carved out," upon all.

" Dear Sir, On the village church's column,

I take a great many publications which have Written in the sacred volume,
been accumulating upon me for some time- in- On the benches in the basement,
On the blinds and window-casement.
somuch that it has become onorous to support
On the shaggy oaken tree,
so much reading matter- I wish yours the best
In the hymn-books you may see
success, but must beg to decline taking it longer.
Writ in characters uncouth,
Yours truly,
Dec
John Jones, the bright, mischievous spark,
Who seems inclined to leave his mark !
The first par
reasons- ackn
Seeing too Much.- - Our good friend, Dr. E.,
for the Scho
who by the way is a little near-sighted, was re-
honest cash
turning from a professional visit one day, when
which but f
glad. he met a man coming towards him with a gun
over his shoulder, on which he saw swinging
a brace of fine ducks. Peeling communicative,
" I am so very much afraid that in the hurry of the doctor asked,
receiving money at the beginning of a new year " Did you shoot them flying ? "
you - Mr. Schoolmaster - will overlook my name The man stopped, and the doctor repeated the
or mislay my money that I send it on thus early. question somewhat louder than before,
I do want to say that the Schoolmaster has done " W -h-a-t " was the reply, " did you shoot
me ten dollars worth of good, and my scholars - them flying?" fairly shouted the doctor,
to many of whom I read it - twice as much more. when, lo, a nearer view transformed the ducks
Don't forget me next year. into a pair of muddy boots, swung over a hoe.
Yours &c., It is only necessary to add that the doctor, sud-
Dec. 1856.
denly thought of a dangerously-sick patient
who needed immediate attendance, and drove on.
These let
of the sa
sort Thirty Days' Credit.-- A country trader w
middle
recently wished to purchase of a firm who did k
readers
not know him, a lot of goods " on thirty days." w

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