Euphuism: Writing Style of a Past Era

Euphuism (yoo-fyoo-iz-uhm) is a writing style that relies on excessive use of literary techniques and verbal elements. It was most popular in the 1500s and was used to entertain through elaborate language and artificial eloquence.

The term originated from sixteenth-century author John Lyly’s novel Euphues: The Anatomy of Wyt, which concerned a fashionable young man named Euphues. Lyly wrote it in a style full of convoluted sentences, rhetorical questions, alliteration, and often references to classical literature.

Examples of Euphuism

Here are a few examples to better illustrate this particular style of writing:

1. Euphues by John Lyly

The freshest colours soonest fade, the teenest razor soonest turneth his edge, the finest cloth is soonest eaten with moths, and the cambric sooner stained than the coarse canvas: which appeared well in this Euphues, whose wit, being like wax, apt to receive any impression, and bearing the head in his own hand, either to use the rein or the spur, disdaining counsel, leaving his country, loathing his old acquaintance, thought either by wit to obtain some conquest, or by shame to abide some conflict; who, preferring fancy before friends and his present humour before honour to come, laid reason in water, being too salt for his taste, and followed unbridled affection, most pleasant for his tooth.

Many euphuistic sentences are lengthy to the point of being mistaken as a paragraph.

2. Delina Delaney by Amanda McKittrick Ros

Nothing daunted at the staunch refusal of different divines, whose modest walk was interrupted by their bold assertion of loathsome rights, they moved on, while laughs of hidden rage and defeat flitted across their doll-decked faces, to die as they next accosted some rustic-looking critics, who, tempted with their polished twang, their earnest advances, their pitiful entreaties, yielded, in their ignorance of the ways of a large city, to their glossy offers, and accompanied, with slight hesitation, these artificial shells of immorality to their homes of ruin, degradation and shame.

Ro has garnered a reputation for writing overly flowery prose. Aldous Huxley, famed writer and philosopher, has directly tied her to the euphuistic movement.

3. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

O, she misused me past the endurance of a block!

an oak but with one green leaf on it would have

answered her; my very visor began to assume life and

scold with her. She told me, not thinking I had been

myself, that I was the prince’s jester, that I was

duller than a great thaw; huddling jest upon jest

with such impossible conveyance upon me that I stood

like a man at a mark, with a whole army shooting at

me. She speaks poniards, and every word stabs:

if her breath were as terrible as her terminations,

there were no living near her; she would infect to

the north star. I would not marry her, though she

were endowed with all that Adam bad left him before

he transgressed: she would have made Hercules have

turned spit, yea, and have cleft his club to make

the fire too. Come, talk not of her: you shall find

her the infernal Ate in good apparel. I would to God

some scholar would conjure her; for certainly, while

she is here, a man may live as quiet in hell as in a

sanctuary; and people sin upon purpose, because they

would go thither; so, indeed, all disquiet, horror

and perturbation follows her.

Many of Shakespeare’s works draw inspiration from, or parody, the euphuistic writing style. Aside from this play, it can also be seen in Hamlet, Love’s Labor’s Lost, and Richard III.

Characteristics of Euphuism

Plots and characters are not important in euphuism; they act only as structures on which conversations, discourses, and letters are presented. Instead, attention is drawn to each sentence and how they are constructed.

Each sentence is written to create a precise cadence when read out loud. To achieve this, euphuistic writers often wrote sentences that had:

• phrases with equal lengths that appear in succession;
• correspondence between sounds and syllables (words and phrases with similar cadence, sound, or spelling)
• and balance between verbal elements between successive sentences (sentences with the same amount of phrases and literary techniques; also sentences that use the same structure)

Euphuism also makes use of literary elements such as similes, metaphors, and parallelism that drew inspiration from nature and mythology. All uses of literary devices are intentionally excessive, with some nonsensical phrases disguised as high-brow discussions.

Two particular elements that are central to this style are alliteration (the use of repetitive initial sounds) and antithesis (the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas). Both are often used to create cadence, while also adding to the intellectual sophistication of a euphuistic sentence.

Euphuism and Euphemism

Euphemism, a more common term, is a completely different concept from euphuism. A euphemism is the replacement of a word or phrase that is deemed offensive with another that is considered less rude. Here are some examples:

• People don’t fart, they “pass wind.”
• Dogs don’t die, they “go to heaven.”
• You don’t pee or poop, you do “number one” or “number two.”

Remember, euphuism is a writing style popular some centuries ago, while euphemism is a figure of speech that is still frequently used today.

What’s the Point of Euphuism?

For the most part, euphuism was an exploration of the capabilities of English prose. Though its use was short-lived, it did influence the development of English prose. During its time, it offered a more playful and inventive prose compared to its predecessors, which tended to be strictly scholarly.

It was also meant to emphasize the intellectuality of that era. During Elizabethan times, high society was more interested in having witty discussions as a form of entertainment, emulating Queen Elizabeth’s own interests in this writing style. In some cases, it was used to attract the opposite sex by flaunting knowledge and refinement.

Euphuism has long faded away as a viable writing style due to its length and artificiality. However, it is sometimes necessary to study, as many works of literature we study today are written in this style or something similar.

Have you encountered euphuism in your readings? Share your experience below!

 

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:

• How to Avoid Purple Prose and Create More Powerful Descriptions in Your Writing
• Alliteration: Definition and Examples from Literature
• Similes Explained: Definitions, Uses, and Examples
• Hypercorrection: Definition and Examples

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