Opening sentence
Encyclopedia
At the beginning of a written work stands the opening sentence. Considered "most important", the opening sentence needs to entice the reader and sets the subject, the tone and possibly the style for the whole work, although this does not have to be obvious. David Lodge
describes the opening sentence as the "threshold" of the novel. The opening line is part or all of the opening sentence that may start the lead paragraph
. For older texts the Latin term "incipit
" (it begins) is in use for the very first words of the opening sentence.
As in speech, a personal document such as a letter starts with a salutation
; this, however, tends not to be the case in document
s, article
s, essay
s, poetry
, lyrics
, and general works of fiction
and nonfiction. In nonfiction, the opening sentence generally points the reader to the subject under discussion directly in a matter-of-fact style. In journalism, the opening line needs to stimulate the reader's interest already aroused by the headline
. It is in fiction where the art of the opening sentence flourishes as authors have much liberty in the way they can cast the beginning; they need, however, to attract attention, arouse curiosity, and entice, lest they lose their audience.
Techniques to hold the reader's attention include keeping the opening sentence to the point, showing attitude, shocking, and being controversial. One of the most famous opening lines, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ...", starts a sentence of 118 words that draws the reader in by its contradiction; the first sentence of Yes
even contains 477 words. "Call me Ishmael
" is an example of a short opening sentence that grabs the reader immediately. Formulaic openings are generally eschewed, but expected in certain genres, thus "Once upon a time
...".
Inspired by the opening, "It was a dark and stormy night
...", the annual tongue-in-cheek Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest
invites entrants to compose "the opening sentence of the worst of all possible novels", and its derivative, the Lyttle Lytton Contest
, for its equivalent in brevity.
The opening sentence may sometimes be also used as the title for the work, e.g. Everything I Possess I Carry With Me
; papal encyclicals and bull
s are titled according to their incipits.
David Lodge (author)
David John Lodge CBE, is an English author.In his novels, Lodge often satirises academia in general and the humanities in particular. He was brought up Catholic and has described himself as an "agnostic Catholic". Many of his characters are Catholic and their Catholicism is a major theme...
describes the opening sentence as the "threshold" of the novel. The opening line is part or all of the opening sentence that may start the lead paragraph
Lead paragraph
A lead paragraph in literature refers to the opening paragraph of an article, essay, news story or book chapter. Often called just "the lead", it usually occurs together with the headline or title, it precedes the main body of the article, and it gives the reader the main idea of the story.In the...
. For older texts the Latin term "incipit
Incipit
Incipit is a Latin word meaning "it begins". The incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is the first few words of its opening line. In music, it can also refer to the opening notes of a composition. Before the development of titles, texts were often referred to by their incipits...
" (it begins) is in use for the very first words of the opening sentence.
As in speech, a personal document such as a letter starts with a salutation
Salutation (greeting)
A salutation is a greeting used in a letter or other written communication, such as an email. Salutations can be formal or informal. The most common form of salutation in a letter is Dear followed by the recipient's given name or title...
; this, however, tends not to be the case in document
Document
The term document has multiple meanings in ordinary language and in scholarship. WordNet 3.1. lists four meanings :* document, written document, papers...
s, article
Article (publishing)
An article is a written work published in a print or electronic medium. It may be for the purpose of propagating the news, research results, academic analysis or debate.-News articles:...
s, essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s, poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
, and general works of fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
and nonfiction. In nonfiction, the opening sentence generally points the reader to the subject under discussion directly in a matter-of-fact style. In journalism, the opening line needs to stimulate the reader's interest already aroused by the headline
Headline
The headline is the text at the top of a newspaper article, indicating the nature of the article below it.It is sometimes termed a news hed, a deliberate misspelling that dates from production flow during hot type days, to notify the composing room that a written note from an editor concerned a...
. It is in fiction where the art of the opening sentence flourishes as authors have much liberty in the way they can cast the beginning; they need, however, to attract attention, arouse curiosity, and entice, lest they lose their audience.
Techniques to hold the reader's attention include keeping the opening sentence to the point, showing attitude, shocking, and being controversial. One of the most famous opening lines, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ...", starts a sentence of 118 words that draws the reader in by its contradiction; the first sentence of Yes
Yes (novel)
Yes is a novel by Thomas Bernhard, originally published in German in 1978 and translated into English by Ewald Osers in 1992.-Plot summary:...
even contains 477 words. "Call me Ishmael
Moby-Dick
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, was written by American author Herman Melville and first published in 1851. It is considered by some to be a Great American Novel and a treasure of world literature. The story tells the adventures of wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaleship Pequod,...
" is an example of a short opening sentence that grabs the reader immediately. Formulaic openings are generally eschewed, but expected in certain genres, thus "Once upon a time
Once upon a time
"Once upon a time" is a stock phrase that has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language, and seems to have become a widely accepted convention for opening oral narratives by around 1600. These stories often then end with ".....
...".
Inspired by the opening, "It was a dark and stormy night
It was a dark and stormy night
"It was a dark and stormy night" is an infamous phrase written by Victorian novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton at the beginning of his 1830 novel Paul Clifford. The annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest uses the phrase as a signifier of purple prose...
...", the annual tongue-in-cheek Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest
Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest
The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest is a tongue-in-cheek contest that takes place annually and is sponsored by the English Department of San Jose State University in San Jose, California. Entrants are invited "to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels" – that is,...
invites entrants to compose "the opening sentence of the worst of all possible novels", and its derivative, the Lyttle Lytton Contest
Lyttle Lytton Contest
The Lyttle Lytton Contest is a diminutive derivative of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, and was first run in the year 2001. Both are tongue-in-cheek contests that take place annually and in which entrants are invited "to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels."The...
, for its equivalent in brevity.
The opening sentence may sometimes be also used as the title for the work, e.g. Everything I Possess I Carry With Me
Everything I Possess I Carry With Me
Everything I Possess I Carry With Me is a novel by German Nobel Prize-winning author Herta Müller, published in 2009 by Carl Hanser Verlag....
; papal encyclicals and bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
s are titled according to their incipits.