The Cumulative Sentence

By now, a few of you have undoubtedly become disinterested in the musings of any bald English teacher, Brooks Landon or yours truly. Still, I wonder if most of you realize how important your written words will be in your life. Sit back for a second and think of all the important documents you will create in your life, from letters of application, to resumes, to dissertations, to wills. You will write love letters, complaint letters, business letters, and letters of recommendation. Your life will be filled with opportunities for you to either flourish or flounder based on the quality of your writing. You may think Landon is talking to writers of fiction, with visions of half-crazy, balding, middle-aged men, hunched over a typewriter, dancing in his head. Perhaps that is what Brooks Landon sees in his scarier dreams, but when he's awake, I imagine he is thinking of you, making a case that your writing should have some unique qualities, begging you to consider the value of syntax. I don't expect you will be using cumulative sentences throughout every paper you ever write, nor do I think it's advisable. Yet, there must surely be a place for a few thoughtful and purposeful sentences with free modifying phrases. As I read your last papers, a few things became very apparent. First, you are still young writers. Please don't take that as a criticism as much as an acknowledgement of the plain truth. Second, most of you do not have a discernible style, or worse, you are trying to sound "academic". For your next essay, I would like you to do two things: relax, and use two cumulative sentences with at least two free modifying phrases. I believe you can do it and I know it will improve your essay.