FEINBERG/WHITMAN Box 36 Folder 43 LITERARY FILE Prose "Our Language & Literature" (undated). A. [MS?] draft. Includes [vetso?] note.1213 Our Language & Literature: prose. A. MS. (11p various sizes, 5 x 13 to 15 1/2x11 cm). Written in ink, with a few of the corrections and most of the last page in pencil, in various sizes and three kinds (pale yellow, yellow, and pale pink) of paper, 145, 126, 39, 79, 62, 71, 114, 69. 127, 115, 84=1031 words in all: (1) Our Language [and Future, the Yet too] much coterie & Literature [Our language ? erature] to come and Literature [The greatest] Of all the [wonderful things] wonder= growth's of [the universe,] humanity, [what is more] nought more [wonderful' wonderful than languages[?] Of [all] languages [what] [which] which other is so grand, [and] has the [combust?] nature and adaptability to serve us or [serves] so well When we make it what it [has to] must be made, as [this] English?--[Beginning form its sturdy for as we] begin [A????{?}] [Like a form] Born to have an identity of its own [*??out five*] hundred years before the American era to have an identity of its own gradually strengthening and [flowing] [bending toward] expending to its present (over) [*1214*] sturdy, and copious volume of words - - [much] adopting into itself freely from [Celtic, Gothic, Latin, Greek, Latin Scandinavian] many immigrancies, many clinics - - It is not a polished fossil language, but [the] a [sounds [?]] true broad fluid language of [individuals] democracy. [*[2]*] Passing through [many] changes, [expansions, and] developments - here we possess [have] it at last, [in These States. And It is As a language not of pot] our most precious inheritance politics, religions or legacies greater that arts, greater than any wealth or any inventions. from all the [countless ages] of the past. [But upon it wertoo] Then [have] what have [doubtless no] great improvements have we upon [it] it [Yes this language? Yes] to make very great ones. [Large numbers of] adapted still more to us and our future It has yet to be acclimated here and [fash] many new words are [still] to be [added] formed -- many of the old ones [made more] / [*3*] I say The English grammarians have all failed to detect those points where [our language] their written speech is strongest, and [need] should be most encouraged - namely in being elliptical and idiomatic, and in expressing [new xxx individual] new spirits. / [*[more]*]1215 Our Language & Literature: 2 [4] The English grammarians [probably] dazzled by the [cold] lustre of the classical tongues, whose [genius is scope? was] spirit is different from ours, [tongue] and had a different word to do, [The or [perhaps] lick lay straining to make [the tongue elegant the long pounded and granded], an obedient, elegant and classically handsome [tongue] dialect, which [it] ours can never be. --(or rather the true elegance and grandeur is more ample, and lies in another direction than they suppose). / [5] [A certain some smell always] A certain, I know not what-- a kind of smell -- betrays [all the] every passage of elegant writing, [in their English language] old or new in [all] British works, that it is [not the] no fresh and hardy growth, but has been scented from outside, [and] and [which shortly] only becomes stale. -- [Of these which follow them here] / [6] [definitely to] conform to our [genius] uses, --a far more complete dictionary to be written-- and the grammar [freed from established for American uses, on a superior and more made into carry out] boldly compelled to serve the [g true] real [genius character] genius [of the language] underneath our speech, [tongue], which is not what [over] 1216 the schoolmen suppose, but wild, intractable, suggestive -- perhaps in time, made a free world's language. / [*7*] Indeed Most of the laws of grammar, insisted on by [British- their] ultramarine crotics and schoolmasters, and by those who follow them there, are insisted on [by persons them] because [who] they [p] who [perhaps make] record such laws know [nothing at all about any the] what real grammar -- [that which] is, namely the [grand primitive] law of the living structure of language in its largest sense--[whi and] often so perhaps [most which the spo] the common speech of the people [no lies] lying nearest to it. [This is] Thus [the] real grammar, vast, deep, perennial, [and] has plenty of room for [all] eccentricities and [all of] what are supposed to be [blunders]--[and] gaucheries.-- [*8*] and violations.-- / [Thus in] [But] For me, I [say that] perceive that [language composition] words [were] would be a stain, a smutchy come deliberately [at] to the conclusion [only] except for the stamina of things--[An] is [I perused] it have? it perused it [Naturalness] Any thing [and its perfect] like the perfect beauty sanity and beauty of nature [is] are [wanting in] is unknown and unattempted in [their] all [literature.] the literature of England.-- [*9*] [A great engrafting primal] [First] of The life = spirit First [the] [mute]1217 Our Language & Literature: 3 of [America These] States must be [had] engrafted upon [the lan English its our] their [imported] inherited language:--indeed I [perceive] see the beginning of this [is begun] already and enjoy.--it.--[As for myself] I love to go away from books, and walk amidst the strong coarse talk of men [where there is who] as they give muscle and bone [in] to [every each] every word they speak.--I say The great grammar, [of] and the great Dictionary of [Americ]the future must [love the same,] and embody it all those.--[It is] Also They are [almost] [?] to follow the open voices of the Americans--for no other nation speaks with such organs as ours.[nation.]-- / [*[10]*] Beyond [all] that I would like to know, indeed, Who can [look] examine these [best] type=productions of [English or any other foreign litera] [all] foreign [literature] literati, [not] imported here, especially [the English that these from] of not Great Britain only, [the rich legacy] of [almost so many-hundred] of years but from any where, of any ages, without feeling that [all] the best, the whole, that has in them been done, ought to be [ought to be far be] far better done--ought superseded [here] here in America, [by things better done] for our own purposes? by a newer greater [race of men? works?race of men?] / [*[11]*] ? words minds [are], to when viewing The the tendencies of other na minds are [?] [*over*]1218 languages, politics, religion, literature, &c [to] consider one or all of them as arbitrarily established, and [to] as [something] thus better than we are, and [therefore] thus to rule us, the [tendency] American mind shall boldly penetrate the [arean?] interiors of all, [these things,] and [oon?] treat them as servants, [our presses] only great because they [represent] forego us, and sternly to be discarded the day we are ready for superior expressions.O[ur] Language & Literature. [and future the] [yet too]much a coterie [Our language] [Literature and] [to come.] Literarure [the greatest] [wonderful they] wonder=growth's of [the sundance?,] humanity [greatest] [what is] naught Of all the more [more] [wonderful] wonderful than languages -- Of [all] languages [which] [what] which other is so grand [and] or has the nature and adaptability or has the nature to serve us so well when we make it what it [?] must be made, as [this] the English? - [Begin!] [Take a form] [form its sturdy forms' possible] Born about five [ha] hundred years before the American era, [to have an identity of its own] gradually strengthening and [tending] [flowing] expanding to its present sturdy and copious volume of words -- [much] adopting into itself freely from [Celtic, Gothic, Latin Greek Latin Scandinavian] [so????] many immigrancies! many climes ---- passing through [many] changes [expansions] [and] developments -- here we [have] possess it at last in [These States, And It is] [is language, not of pol] our most precious inheritance from all of the [countless ages] legacies of the past-- greater than politics, religions or arts, greater than any wealth or any inventions, It is not a polished fossil language but a broad fluid language of [individuality] democracy. [But] [upon it we too have great] [doubtless no] Then what improvements to make upon very great ones. [Large numbers of] It has yet to be acclimated and adapted still more to us and and own -- many new words are [still] to be [added] formed -- many of the old ones [made more]. -- [9? ???] The English grammarians have all failed to detect those points where their written speech [our language] is strongest, and [?????] should be most encouraged -- namely in being new and in expressing [??? ???????] spirits elliptical and dramatic.The English grain = marians, [probably] dazzled by the [cold] lustre of the classical tongues, whose spirit [people's] is different from ours, [tongue] and had a different work to do,—[The] or [perhaps] likely straining to make [the] [the long] [tongue elegant], [rounded and grounded], our obedient, elegant, and classically handsome [tongue] dialect which [it] ours can never be- ( or rather the true elegance and grandeur is more ample, and lies in another direction than they supposed)definitely not conformed to our uses [genus] -- a far more complete dictionary to be written -- and the grammarian [freed from established for American uses, on a superior and more made into carry out] boldly compelled to serve the [? true] the real [genius of the language character] genius [for] underneath our speech, tongue language in which is not what the schoolmen suppose, but wild intractable, suggestive and free -- perhaps in time makes a worldslanguage. [A certain some smell always] A certain, I know not what -- a kind of smell -- betrays [all the] every passage of elegant writing, old or new [in their English language,] [all] British works, that it is [not the] no fresh and hardy growth but has been scented from outside and [and which] [of those who follow them here shortly] only becomes stale. -- Indeed, most of the laws of grammar, insisted on by ultramarine [British] their critics and schoolmasters, and by on those who follow them here, are insisted on [by persons who them] because they [?] who [? profess] such laws know not [nothing at all about any the] what real grammar -- [that which] is namely the [grand practical] law of the living structure of language in its largest sense -- [who often and must which the spe] & the common speech of the people [?] perhaps [ne lost] [ne] lying nearest to it. [The] Thus [the] real grammar, vast, deep, perennial, [and] has plenty of room for [all] eccentricities and [all of] what are supposed to be [blunders and] gaucheries, -- and violations.[This is About] For me, I [say that] perceive that [language were composition] words would be a stain, a smutchy [one] except for the stamina of things [?] come deliberately to the conclusion [and as perfect] like the perfect beauty [?] [in] is unknown and unattempted [in their] all [literature.] the [?] literature of England. -- [A great primal engrafting First of] The First [the] life=spirit of [America] The[se] States must be [and] engrafted upon [the laws inherited English its our] their inherited language; -- indeed I [perceive] see the beginning of this [is begun] already and enjoy it. [As for myself] I love to go away from books, and walk amidst the stray coarse talk of men [where there is who are] as they give muscle and bone [in every each] to every word they speak. I say The great grammar, [of] and the great Dictionary of [Americ] the future must [love the same,] and embody all those it. [It is above] Also They are to follow the open voices of the Americans -- for no other nation speaks with such organs as ours. [nation.]Beyond [all] that I would like to know, [indeed] Who can [look] examine these [best] type: productions of [English or any other not foreign all] foreign [literature especially] literati [not] imported here, [literature, the rich legacy the English that those] of from Great Britain only, of [almost so many hundred[s]] [so] but from any where, of any age, [of years] without feeling that [all] the list, the whole, that has in them been done, [ought to be for the] ought to be far better done -- ought to be superseded [here] here in America, [by things better done?] for our own purposes, by [a] newer greater [race of] [men?] [works?] [race of] men? ? words While the tendencies of other no minds [are, to] when viewing languages, politics, religions, literatures &c. [to] consider one or all of them as arbitrarily established and [no] as [something] things better than we are and [therefore] they to rule us, the [tendency] American mind shall boldly penetrate the [arcan] interiors of all, [those things,] and [con] treat them as servants, [?] [pressers] only great because they [represent] forego us, and sternly to be discarded the day we are ready for superior expressionsThe World is full of teachers—full of inquirers: — Much is said of the truth—but [how rare is any inquiring] where is [?] [are those] who really [inquire] tend after it, to follow wherever it leads, [Is it] Are they [?] the [sects] [the] leaders [Is] Are they in in the parties?