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This is from George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London:

"Thereupon a whole variegated chorus of yells, as windows were flung open on every side and half the street joined in the quarrel." (pg.1, Penguin edition).

It is the first part - "Thereupon a variegated chorus of yells" - which I am interested in. I am under the impression that "chorus" is used here as a noun; therefore, there is no verb in the phrase at the beginning of the sentence, yet it gives the impression of a clause. If the sentence were as follows, "Thereupon a variegated chorus of yells.", it would still make sense to me despite the absence of any verb. Is a verb implied?: "Thereupon a variegated chorus of yells (erupted)", for example. If so, is there a name for this? I am sure I have seen it before.

Edwin Ashworth
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nbhr
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  • I'd put the implied verb earlier: "Thereupon [came] a variegated chorus of yells …" – Peter Shor May 23 '14 at 10:44
  • It is a sentence fragment. It is used here for dramatic effect, and is fine as it is easily understood and not overdone. Peter has suggested a possible verb; it doesn't add much meaningwise, though converts to the more normal sentence structure. – Edwin Ashworth May 23 '14 at 10:58
  • @EdwinAshworth I don't happen to think it is up to Orwell's usual standard. 'Variegated yells' don't arrive with you as a 'chorus', but as a 'cacophony'. – WS2 May 23 '14 at 13:30
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    See the first three paragraphs of Dickens' Bleak House: http://www.online-literature.com/dickens/bleakhouse/2/ – Neil W May 23 '14 at 13:52
  • @WS2 Agreed – I'm not sure 'Down and Out in Paris and London' ever did fly. But then this is the Penguin edition. – Edwin Ashworth May 23 '14 at 14:41
  • @PeterShor many thanks. Your post led me to the topic of sentence inversion. EdwinAshworth, I don't understand the Penguin Edition reference. – nbhr May 23 '14 at 14:50
  • @EdwinAshworth Notwithstanding that, Down and Out was a 1930s' masterpiece. Originally written, one assumes, as two shorter novels -one re Paris where he was a plongeur in a restaurant; and the other re London, where he was a tramp. What was brilliant was how he adapted his writing to the quite different zeitgeist after the war. – WS2 May 23 '14 at 17:09

2 Answers2

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Yes, the verb is implied here. It implies that the chorus of yells came out or erupted as you said.

As in the sentence a bit before this sentence came up in the text - "A succession of furious, choking yells from the street." The sentence is not complete in itself.

Authors tend to use incomplete sentences as a form of style which we may find inapt but then, the book goes way back. We can't complain.

Hope it helps.

Veronica Diamond
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  • Thanks for that Veronica. I didn't notice the preceding one. Just shows that they are familiar, I guess. Is there a term for this? It looks like a form of ellipsis, but I can't find a more specific name. – nbhr May 23 '14 at 11:56
  • I haven't come across a proper term for such sentences. Sorry, Won't be able to help much from here. Could you accept my answer if it helped to answer your question. – Veronica Diamond May 23 '14 at 14:33
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Technically it is not an omission but the 'flowerizing' speech:

Antemereia:

In rhetoric, anthimeria (traditionally and more properly called antimeria) is the use of a word as if it were a member of a different word class (part of speech); typically, the use of a noun as if it were a verb.

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