THE MICHIGAN DAILY MAGAZINE
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Thinking a
(By Delbert Clark.)
Do thinkers write, and do writers
think? Are great thinkers of neces-
sity great writers, and do great writ-
ers have to be ipso facto great
thinkers? Opinions of campus author-
ities vary widely on the subject, which,
simply stated, is: Because an indivi-
dual is capable of lofty, inspiring
thought, does it necessarily follow
that he is capable of expressing his
thoughts in words equally great? And
does a great writer have to be a
great thinker? Various members ofn
the University faculty have been asked
to express their personal opinions on
the matter, with the result that some
take one extreme, some the other, and
a least one has taken what may be
termed a middle course.
Prof. Fred N. Scott, head of the
rhetoric department, believes that
simultaneously with the idea are borne
the words to fit it. In proportion to
the vagueness and lack of definite lines
of the idea, so inadequate will be the
words by which to express it. But as
the idea takes definite shape, and
rounds out to perfection, so will the
words expressing it increase in ade-
quacy and beauty. The idea, however,
according to Professor Scott, is always
vague and indistinct until adequate
words are found to express it.
Prof.. M. C. Wier, of the rhetoric d
partment, is of the opinion that an in-
dividual may be a great thinker, but
lack, words to express his thought
properly. That, in his opinion, is just
the difference between a great writer
and a mediocre one. By constant re-
writing, according to Mr. Wier, one
may improve the quality of the work
in hand, but he believes that real
facility and nicety in choice of words
and in written expression is something
that can never be acquired in entirely.
On the other hand, one may write well
without displaying loftiness or thought.
Mr. Wier cites Swinburne to support
this contention. "Swinburne", he
said, "in a most masterful fashion took
the ideas of the ancient classical
writers, many of them crude and ill-
expressed, and rewrote them, giving
Professor Jastrow's Last Book
By the death of Prof. Morris Jast-
row, Jr., the world lost one of the
leading biblical scholars of modern
times. His contributions to the liter-
attsre of Oriental research have been
many, and among the .best known are
his two recent biblical interpretations,
"A GENTLE CYNIC." Being the Book
o$ Ecclesiastes," and "The Book of
Job. His last book will be published
this month by the same company. This
is "The Song of Songs: Being a Col-
lection of Love Lyrics of Ancient Pal-
estine." It will complete the popular
series that include the two books men-
tioned previously. The late author,
in his new translation, based on a re-
vised text, divides the collection into
twhnty-two beautiful songs, to which
he has given descriptive and enticing
heads, such as: "Love's' Ecstacy."
"The Saucy Damsel." "Love's Long-
ing," etc.
With light and lofty words he fills
His large vocabulary,
'Tis do~e as he will often tell
To make his diction-airy.
nd Writing
them a wonderful lustre and a lasting
place in English verse. But the fact
remains that the ideas were not his
,originally."
But on the other side is Prof.
Charles B. Vibbert, of the philosophy
department, who says in effect: "It
is impossible Ato be sure in specific
cases because there are so many ex-
ternal factors to be taken into con-
sideration, such as temperamental in-
disposition, ill-health, and many
others. However, all other things be-
ing normal, I would say that a thinker
if he is a thinker is capable of self-
expression, and as the clarity of his
thought increases, so does the beauty
-f its expression."
Donal. Hamilton Haines, lecturer in
journalism, and a writer well known
himself, says that "Great writing caR-
not be produced without great thoughts
behind it, or, if it could, it would be
the work of a wierd. sort of genius."
Prof.: Walter B. Pillsbury, of the
department of psychology, says that
thought the processes of thinking and
connected, yet it is impossible to reach
a definite conclusion by any psycho-
logical means yet discovered. And
there you are.
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