Again, every one knows that excited persons are given
to figures of speech. The vituperation of the vulgar abounds with
them: often, indeed, consists of little else. "Beast," "brute,"
"gallows rogue," "cut-throat villain," these, and other like metaphors
and metaphorical epithets, at once call to mind a street quarrel.
Further, it may be noticed that extreme brevity is another
characteristic of passionate language. The sentences are generally
incomplete; the particles are omitted; and frequently important
words are left to be gathered from the context. Great admiration
does not vent itself in a precise proposition, as--"It is beautiful";
but in the simple exclamation--"Beautiful!" He who, when reading a
lawyer's letter, should say, "Vile rascal!" would be thought angry;
while, "He is a vile rascal!" would imply comparative coolness.
Thus we see that alike in the order of the words, in the frequent
use of figures, and in extreme conciseness, the natural utterances
of excitement conform to the theoretical conditions of forcible
expression.
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