Sunday, Dec 17, 2017

A Wink to All Those Nights...
The Dark and Stormy Kind, in Particular

In literature, the kiss of death for a piece of writing can be anything from poor grammar to overuse of cliches. Today, we would like to focus on one cliche that everyone here knows, that will make many a reader wince at its utterance...

"It was a dark and stormy night." Where does this often-uttered phrase come from and what does it really signify in the literary community? Well, we're about to find out. 

In 1830, famed Victorian author Edward Bulwer-Lytton, a British writer, politician and coiner of several famous phrases including "the pen is mightier than the sword" and "pursuit of the almighty dollar", published a novel entitled Paul Clifford. Though the novel is not at all well-known these days, it was received with great popularity at the time. It began like this, "It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness." (Paul Clifford, 1830). The novel details a criminal who lives a life of evil until sentenced to death by a judge - right after learning that said judge is his own father (did George Lucas read this?). In any event - the story itself might be long-forgotten, but its incipit, or first line, is far from it. 

"It was a dark and stormy night." Where does this often-uttered phrase come from and what does it really signify in the literary community? Well, we're about to find out. 

In 1830, famed Victorian author Edward Bulwer-Lytton, a British writer, politician and coiner of several famous phrases including "the pen is mightier than the sword" and "pursuit of the almighty dollar", published a novel entitled Paul Clifford. Though the novel is not at all well-known these days, it was received with great popularity at the time. It began like this, "It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness." (Paul Clifford, 1830). The novel details a criminal who lives a life of evil until sentenced to death by a judge - right after learning that said judge is his own father (did George Lucas read this?). In any event - the story itself might be long-forgotten, but its incipit, or first line, is far from it. 

So how did this famous author and popular novel turn into a pop-culture reference and comic device to be used by others? The truth is that there is no real answer to this question! As we have seen from the rising and falling popularity of authors and artists the world over, literature and art moves in waves. Forgotten novels become cult classics, and once revered artists fall by the wayside. The obvious melodrama of Bulwer-Lytton's original phrase is perhaps scoffed at these days, but at one point in time he was highly revered as one of the most famous authors of the Victorian era. Don't scoff too much... you never know what literary devices and genres might be popular again next season! Do yourself a favor this winter - while the evenings are dark early and the cold has set in and you curl up with a glass of wine and a book... perhaps make it a book you wouldn't necessarily read normally. Perhaps it begins with a phrase you have heard a million times but have, heretofore, not known the context! This is the perfect time to visit Lord Lytton and see how the fuss was created, or enjoy one of the first science fiction novels to feature a female protagonist... let alone a teenager! Let us know how you all get on in your literary travels...