Style and the Man

In this lively, thought‑provoking address the speaker turns the spotlight on “style” itself, examining why the very word makes critics sit up and listeners lean in. He sketches how readers drift toward easy currents or brave tumultuous tides, how a book may sit untouched on a shelf until a sudden mood draws it out, and how personal temperament colors every encounter with prose or poetry. The essay invites you to pause over those familiar letters and passages that seem to sing, and to consider the hidden preferences that shape our literary appetites.

Drawing on centuries of thought—from ancient Greek philosophers to Roman poets and the essays of Addison and Steele—the narrator argues that style is as elusive as a cloud’s shadow, resisting any simple formula or classroom lesson. He suggests that while fashions change like clothing, the underlying currents of good writing endure, offering listeners a chance to reflect on their own sense of taste and the timeless dance between language and feeling.