Depiction of Time

A young writer who wishes to cultivate a really good power of portrayal should not neglect that most difficult portrayal of all, namely, the depiction of the passage of time. It is a necessary complement to every artist's work, a finish to technique, a gloss to the satin, which renders the work worthy of the closest scrutiny.

The beginner will mark his work off in a vain endeavor to tell all the things that would be likely to happen in a given time. He will write whole pages of unimportant details, features lacking incident, line after line of happenings that simply show how the time was spent without having any bearing on the more important events of the story; and finally, in despair at the futility of his own efforts, he will say: "And thus an hour passed away;" or, "So did the day slowly wear itself away."

No one cares what really transpired in the time enumerated in the exact rotation of happenings; it was not the things done, but the effect of time. What did the hero do? What did he feel? What effect was brought about by reason of this lapse of time? It takes time for great emotions to expend themselves, time for them to rise to prominence, and time for deep thought and reflection upon the accomplishment of any momentous change or undertaking. All of these subjective states are strongly emphasized by making the portrayal of time felt by the reader. Then he really enters into the play, becomes an actor, feels, thinks, and is held by the supersen-suous impression of the depiction as if he did really care, and as if he were vitally concerned in the outcome.

There is, it is true, a certain amount of enumeration of particulars necessary in portraying the, happenings of a lively event, like a boat race, but even in this the same element of subdual of incident to the portraying of effect produced while events are transpiring is, in nearly all cases, paramount. For it is this effect that all literary composition aims at; in fact, all forms of art whatsoever may be said to have this same thing for the sole aim and object.

In a recent Cosmopolitan, there is a passage in "The Diary of King Edward VIII." that bears evidence of greatest skill in the management of the passage of time. It shows how well time progression may be adapted to the expression of emotion in a most admirable manner. It stands out by comparison with some of the weak, incorrect ways that all have seen done by the beginner, as a professional's work always does; and leads the mind to think of similar methods of careful execution.

The king has been reminded by a friend of how much time he is sacrificing in "the stupid round of functions." He reads an article in The North American Review that reinforces the suggestion to give these up and become a real factor in his own kingdom. He reflects long and earnestly upon the question, and upon the problem of how best to give up "the old implements of custom and delusion." He spends the night in this reflection, for it is a most important decision, a crisis in his life, a great victory for the right; and this is how the writer, the professional, tells the history of that event:

"Another hour passed, and I was still pondering. I had almost come to the conclusion of determining upon a new life.

Gradually the flames died down, until only red hot coals remained. The clock struck one, two, three, four. As I measured to myself the difficulties, my courage rose.

"'What am I on the throne?' I asked myself for the tenth "time, until finally, as the dawn began to come in through the window, I was able to exclaim to myself, 'I will.' With energy I threw off my clothes—soon after midnight I had dismissed my lieutenants—and in a few minutes I had sunk into a profound slumber. It was half past nine before I opened my eyes. The sun was shining brightly."

The mind of the reader is carried along by the stress of the king's deep feeling, with an earnest desire that he shall decide to make the change, yet duly impressed by the greatness of the undertaking because of the length of time that it takes him to make up his mind. The suggestions of time passage are most cunningly woven into the fabric of emotion in this selection. It will bear close study.

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