Reaction to Saintsbury in Pater’s Formulation of Ideas on Prose Style

Abstract

Describes Pater’s efforts to develop his views on style which culminated in his famous essay “Style.” Claims he worked out his theory in four related works, the first a review of Specimens of English Prose Style from Malory to Macaulay by the emerging critic of style, George Saintsbury. Believes Pater’s need to react to Saintsbury’s claims prompted him to enunciate opposing ideas that would establish him as a theorist on style and proponent of a particular formulation of the “the style is the man” against Saintsbury’s principle of the separability of form and matter in literature.