20. The Music Of The Text

Writing that is alive evokes powerful feelings of excitement, of anticipation, of concern, and of joy.

Many elements of a text can contribute to the creation of these feelings. Elements like pacing, vocabulary, structure, metaphor, and tension can all play a role. But these are only tools and, if haplessly deployed, they can easily produce something mechanical and barren of life. A text can be furnished with all the markers of good writing and still fall flat. What is it that breathes life into these elements that are otherwise static and unmoving?

Perhaps it is the music of the text. If there is harmony and coherence in the rhythms and melodies, then the text brings the energy and vitality of life. This is true regardless of the complexity of the writing itself, for even the simplest of sentences can carry this power — provided they come together to form something musical.

When the reader puts a vibrant text into action through reading, they assemble its pieces into something more, a song that transcends the text itself. It is the sound of this song that lifts up the reader beyond the usual limits and creates the joyful experience of being in contact with an artwork that is alive and real.