‘Twas by Jamie Kirkpatrick

Sometimes, less really is more. Contractions are useful little shortcuts that expedite speech and generally make a writer’s life a little bit easier. Not all contractions, mind you. Take ‘ain’t,’ for example; that one is still a no-no to most grammarians but otherwise I’ve never met a contraction I didn’t like. See what I did there?

C’mon; admit it: you like ‘em as much as I do. We don’t talk in full measure so why should we write any differently? Contractions emulate speech. If I were to write a sentence without a single contraction, you might think I were a stuffy, pompous scribbler who is trying to earn a better living by charging my readers (or my publisher) by the word. But that’s not me. See what I did there?

So, let’s just assume that contractions are indeed useful, acceptable, even delightful elements of good writing. Doesn’t it therefore make sense that there should be a Hall of Fame for contractions? You’d agree, wouldn’t you? And if there were such a Hall of Fame, wouldn’t “’twas” be a shoo-in for inclusion? The Irish among us may fancy “’tis” but that’s so…present tense. I’ll take ’twas any day. Especially, today, or—depending on when you’re reading this—on Christmas Eve.

Just imagine there were no contractions back in 1823 when our esteemed local ancestor Clement Clark Moore sat down to write his immortal poem in praise of Christmas Eve with the soporific words “It was.” No! Just wouldn’t do. Wouldn’t have the same rhythm, the same wonderful anapestic tetrameter, the same (dare I say) magic that little “’twas”—one of only two contractions in the entire poem (the other is ‘kerchief)—brings to the table. “’Twas” gets right to the heart of the matter: the stockings hung by the chimney with care, the children nestled all snug in their beds, St. Nicholas himself (that right jolly old elf) and his smoky pipe, and those eight tiny reindeer—coursers more rapid than eagles—with their wonderfully onomatopoetic names.

But alas; nothing comes easily these days. There’s an apostate school of belief out there that claims Mr. Moore was not the author of “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (aka “The Night Before Christmas”) and that the poem was actually the work of Major Henry Livingston, Jr., a view naturally espoused by the descendants of Major Livingston. But I’m not here to debate the provenance of what many folk believe to be the best-known verse in American history although I’m sure that opinion is open to debate, too; I’m here only to praise its opening contraction: that marvelous little “’Twas.”

Perhaps inspired by Moore’s poem, in 1871, Lewis Carroll used “’Twas” to open his nonsense poem, “Jabberwocky.” (“’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves/Did gyre and gimble in the wabe…”) But wondrous as that poem may be, it’s a far cry from Moore’s holiday opus, if only because everyone can imagine St. Nicholas laughing like a bowl full of jelly while merrily going about his Christmas business. But there’s not a soul alive that has. any idea what a Jubjub bird is or what a frumious Bandersnatch looks like. Nevertheless, I give Carroll high marks for trying and especially for employing good old “’twas” right out of the gate.

But let’s return to where we started and one of my favorite all-time Christmas gifts, the lowly-but-useful contraction. ‘Twere it not for contractions, my writing might be regarded as stilted and boring, with nary a sugarplum to enliven it or entertain the reader. But as you can see, I’m all in favor of words that contain that wondrous little apostrophe, the mark that makes every writer’s life just a bit easier, mine included. And so I say…

I’ll be right back. (See what I did there?)

PS: Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Jamie Kirkpatrick is a writer and photographer with homes in Chestertown and Bethesda. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington College Alumni Magazine, and American Cowboy magazine. “A Place to Stand,” a book of photographs and essays about Landon School, was published by the Chester River Press in 2015.  A collection of his essays titled “Musing Right Along” was published in May 2017; a second volume of Musings entitled “I’ll Be Right Back” was released in June 2018.  Jamie’s website is www.musingjamie.com

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