Of Youth and Age by Francis Bacon (Questions & Answers)

 

Of Youth and Age

by Francis Bacon

(Questions & Answers)

 

1.               Who was Bacon and what did he do?

-    Francis Bacon was born on 22 January 1561 in London. He was the son of Sir Nicholas Bacon. Bacon studied at Cambridge University and at Gray's Inn and became a member of parliament in 1584. He served as attorney general and Lord Chancellor of England during the Renaissance, but he is best known for his contributions to philosophy.

 

2.               What is aphorism?

-    Aphorism is a statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner. The term is often applied to philosophical, moral and literary principles. For example, "Studies serve for delight, for ornament and for ability". (Of Studies by Bacon)

 

3.               Why Bacon is called modern?

-    Comparing Bacon with his predecessors, Sidney, Lyly and Achim, it is seen how widely he departs from the prolix methods of the day. He has evolved such a prose style which proves that English can be used as a medium of expression. Most of the lines from his essays have always been acclaimed as immortal quotes. That is why he is called modern.

 

4.               Why do the errors of young men often prove fatal?

-    The errors of young men often prove fatal because they undertake more than they can carry through. They want to achieve their aims hurriedly without considering their means. They are rash and use extreme remedies at the very beginning and are unwilling to acknowledge their errors.

 

5.               What are the general merits and demerits of the old age?

-    The old men are more experienced than the young men and their actions are guided by their experiences. Old men argue too much, consult too long, are not adventurous, repent too soon and are less imaginative. They are satisfied with little success.

 

6.               “Certainly, it is good to compound employments of both…” Why?

-    Bacon says it is good to compound the qualities of both youth and old age because this combination will be good for the present, for future and for external affairs. Old men take decisions in matters which they understand whereas young men are rash so the young men may learn what to do from old men.

 

7.               Who are those young men who fail to fulfill their promise?

-    The young men who fail to fulfill their promise are the ones whose wits are weak. Those young men also fail who begin with a high standard and are unable through a long period of years to maintain themselves at the height of greatness, which they have reached.

 

8.               What are the basic qualities of youth? Compare the qualities of youth with old age.

-    Bacon has described certain basic qualities of youth. First of all, he says that youth is like first thoughts which are not so good as second thoughts. Young age is a mental as a well as a physical state. Young men are more imaginative. Ideas flow in the minds of young men as they are inspired by divine inspiration. Young men are fit to invent than to judge. They undertake new projects than the settled business. Young men in the management of actions accept more burdens than they can carry through. They act inconsiderately. They try to achieve their aims hurriedly. Young men do not acknowledge their mistakes. Thus, they are like a badly trained horse which neither stops nor turns. Bacon compares the different qualities of youth and old age. Youth is the first cogitation while the old age is the second one, therefore wiser. Young men are fit to invent, to execute whereas old men are apt to judge and to advise. Old men are not for adventure, on the other hand, young men are adventurous. Old men have the influence while young men have the popularity. Young men give preference to moral principles while old men care little for moral principles and are cleverer and more prudent. Young men are nearer to God than old.

 

9.               Which emperors are mentioned in the essay ‘of youth and age’?

-    Emperors mentioned in the essay ‘of youth and age’ are: Augustus Caesar, Cosmus, Duke of Florence, Gaston de Foix, and others.

 

10.        What do the essays of Bacon talk about his age?

-    The essays of Bacon tell a lot about his age, Renaissance. These tell that this age has a love for classical learning and natural beauty. It has the spirit of inquiry, individualism and nationalism. It has pragmatic spirit, reformist zeal and Machiavellian approach to life.

 

11.        Why is Bacon's style aphoristic?

-    Bacon's style is aphoristic because there is a terseness of expression and an epigrammatic brevity in his style. His sentences are brief, rapid and forceful. Indeed, his essays are replete the aphorism. For example, "A lie faces God and shrinks from man."/"Suspicions among thoughts are like bats among birds."

 

12.        Why is Bacon's style different?

-    Comparing Bacon with his predecessors, Sidney, Lyly and Acham, it will be seen how widely he departs from the prolix methods of the day. He has evolved such a prose style which proves that English can be used as a medium of expression. Most of the lines from his essays have been acclaimed as immortal quotes. That is why Bacon's style is different.

 

13.        What do Bacon's essays teach?

-    Bacon's essays teach us worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom means the kind of wisdom that is necessary for achieving worldly success. They teach us the art of how to get on this world, how to become rich and prosperous, how to rise to high positions, how to exercise one's authority and power so as to attain good results, how to gain influence, etc.

 

14.        Point out the Renaissance elements in Bacon's essays.

-    Pragmatical spirit, the Machiavellian approach to life, classical learning, love of beauty and sensuousness, spirit of humanism, curiosity and love of travel, wealth of metaphor and analogy, love of learning, emphasis on ethics and morality, and love of exploration are the Renaissance elements in Bacon's essays.

 

15.        Bacon's essays are full of wisdom. How?

-    Bacon is a man of Renaissance and man is the subject of his essays. He is a philosopher, utilitarian and moralist. Therefore, "Beyond any other book of the same size in any literature they are loaded with the ripest wisdom of experience." (Hudson)

 

16.        Bacon's style is pithy. How?

-    A pithy style is one that is brief, terse and vigorously expressive. Bacon is a master of pithy sentences in his essays. He ignores the unnecessary conceits and over crowded imagery of the Enthusiast. However, every sentence in his essays is pregnant with meaning and is capable of being expanded into several sentences. For example, "A mixture of a lie doeth ever add pleasure.".

 

17.        Why is Bacon called a worldly moralist?

-    Bacon is called a worldly moralist because his essays teach us worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom means the kind of wisdom that is necessary for achieving worldly success. He teaches us the art of how to get on this world, how to become rich and prosperous, how to rise to high positions, how to exercise one's authority and power, and how to gain influence, etc.

 

18.        How are Bacon's essay an expression of brevity?

-    Brevity is to describe something great with the use of few words. Bacon possessed a remarkable ability to express deep weighty and profound thoughts with an economy of language. Most of his sentences can be expanded into whole paragraphs, and can be read like proverbs, maxims or aphorisms. For example, "A mixture of a lie doeth ever add pleasure".