Spring 2022: January 18th to May 6th
The intention for this course is for students to discover for themselves a new relationship to language as figural, leaving each student with an expanded writerly repertoire they are free to deploy within a variety of genres of writing.
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Before our first class, please listen to this 30 minute interview between myself and Writing Arts Professor Ron Block:
Week 1
Wednesday, January 19th
Introduction and Overview: the Intention of the Course
Ground Rules for Effective Participation:
Integrity as providing a foundation for workability
Integrity as providing a foundation for workability
Week 2
Monday, January 24th
Read Chapter 1, "Basic Sentences" from Copy and Compose.
1c_copycompose_basic_sentences.doc | |
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For today: Copy basic sentence types 1-8, and write at least 1 version of each example.
For Wednesday: Copy basic sentence types 9-13, and write at least 1 version of each example.
The aim is to follow as closely as possible the sentences modeled in the examples.
For Wednesday: Copy basic sentence types 9-13, and write at least 1 version of each example.
The aim is to follow as closely as possible the sentences modeled in the examples.
Wednesday, January 26th
For today: Copy basic sentence types 9-13, and write at least 1 version of each example.
For Monday: Copy basic sentence types 14-23, and write at least 1 version of each example.
Week 3
Monday, January 31st
For today: Copy basic sentence types 14-23, and write at least 1 version of each example.
Read Brooks Landon's Building Great Sentences
Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4. Recommended: Read Holcomb and Killingsworth's Performing Prose: Chapter 3 "Convention and Deviation"
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Intention for today's class: to deepen your ability to attend carefully to the logical relationships that make a sentence a basic sentence, with special emphasis on the four principles of the cumulative sentence. Cumulative sentences employ:
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Wednesday, February 2nd
Read Brooks Landon's Building Great Sentences Chapter 5.
Unit 1 assignment workshop
Unit 1 assignment due.
For today: Copy, unwrite, and compose stylistic sentence type 1 (all examples).
For Monday: Copy, unwrite, and compose stylistic sentence types 1, 2, and 3 (all examples).
For today: Copy, unwrite, and compose stylistic sentence type 1 (all examples).
For Monday: Copy, unwrite, and compose stylistic sentence types 1, 2, and 3 (all examples).
Skim list of Rutilian Figures:
2b_1_rutilian_figures.doc | |
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1 Prosapodosis
2 Isocolon 3 Tricolon
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“A benefit is pleasing when granted at the right moment to one who desires it, since the usefulness and desirability of receiving the benefit increases the honor of the one granting it. But a benefit is unwelcome when granted late to one who no longer desires it, since, with the moment of its usefulness having been missed, the desire of the one who is to receive it declines.”
--Demetrius of Phalerum |
Week 4
Monday, February 7th
Rhetorical Schemes
Complete: 1 Prosapodosis 2 Isocolon 3 Tricolon Read Robert Harris's Writing with Style and Clarity Chapter 1: "Balance" Read: Heinrichs, Word Hero, Chapter 3 "Capture the Secrets"
Read: Forsyth Chapters 16, and 19 Unwriting Sentences: the central practice of the course
For Wednesday: Copy, unwrite, and compose stylistic sentence types 4-6:
4 Antithesis 5 Antanagoge 6 Antisagoge |
Intention for today's class: to introduce the central practice of the course, namely, the practice of unwriting a figure as the chief means to discover what makes the figure work as a figure, so that you might better emulate that figure.
Skim Arvatu, Adina and Andrew Aberdein. “Rhetoric” from Trivium: The Classical Liberal Arts of Grammar, Logic, & Rhetoric.
(Especially pages 252-289)
"One can only suggest to these stubborn gentlemen that if, instead of insisting that their own mythology is history, they would work the other way and dehistoricize their mythology, they might recover contact with the spiritual possibilities of this century and salvage from what must otherwise be inevitable discard whatever may still be of truth to life in their religion."
From Joseph Campbell's The Flight of the Wild Gander "The Secularization of the Sacred" 225. |
Wednesday, February 9th
Complete:
4 Antithesis 5 Antanagoge 6 Antisagoge Read Forsyth Chapters: 3, 30, 37, 38 Read Robert Harris's Writing with Style and Clarity Chapter 16: "Word Play" For Monday: Copy, unwrite, and compose sentence types 7-14:
7 Synathroismos
8 Scesis Onomaton 9 Exemplum 10 Paronomasia 11 Paradiastole 12 Antanaclasis (Anaclasis) 13 Anastrophe 14 Hypallage |
To paraphrase Kenneth Burke, from his "Lexicon Rhetoricae":
A sentence "has form in so far as one part of it leads a reader to anticipate another part, to be gratified by the sequence" (Counter-Statement 124). |
Week 5
Monday, February 14th
Complete:
7 Synathroismos 8 Scesis Onomaton 9 Exemplum 10 Paronomasia 11 Paradiastole 12 Antanaclasis (Anaclasis) 13 Anastrophe 14 Hypallage Read Robert Harris's Writing with Style and Clarity
Chapter 11: "Restatement I" Read Forsyth Chapters: 15, 24, 39 For Wednesday: Copy, unwrite and compose 15-18:
15 Antimetabole 16 Anaphora 17 Epistrophe 18 Symploce Recommended reading (you will be assigned this later in the third Unit of the course):
Holcomb and Killingsworth Chapter 7 "Schemes" |
Intention for today's class: to begin to reflect on the following questions (from Holcomb and Killingsworth 107):
Holcomb and Killingsworth give us a few good places to "look," when we focus on the social interaction schemes can perform. They can:
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Wednesday, February 16th
Complete:
15 Antimetabole 16 Anaphora 17 Epistrophe 18 Symploce Forsyth Chapters: 2, 9, 11 (review), 12, 17, 32 Read Robert Harris's Writing with Style and Clarity
Chapter 12: "Restatement II" Chapter 13: "Restatement III" For Monday, copy, unwrite and compose 19-28:
19 Polyptoton 20 Epanalepsis 21 Diacope 22 Ploce 23 Epizeuxis 24 Auxesis 25 Anadiplosis 26 Conduplicatio 27 Polysyndeton 28 Asyndeton |
Anaphora
Epistrophe Simploce Anadiplosis Conduplicatio Epanalepsis Polyptoton Diacope Epizeuxis Ploce |
O__. O__. O__. O__.
__O. __O. __O. __O. O__X. O__X. O__X. __O, O__ __O___, O____ O_____O O___O--___ O_O OOO O___O__O____O___O_O |
Week 6
Monday, February 21st
Complete:
19 Polyptoton
20 Epanalepsis
21 Diacope
22 Ploce
23 Epizeuxis
24 Auxesis
25 Anadiplosis
26 Conduplicatio
27 Polysyndeton
28 Asyndeton
19 Polyptoton
20 Epanalepsis
21 Diacope
22 Ploce
23 Epizeuxis
24 Auxesis
25 Anadiplosis
26 Conduplicatio
27 Polysyndeton
28 Asyndeton
Read: Controlling Value
Read Forsyth Chapter 4
Read Robert Harris's Writing with Style and Clarity
Chapter 5 "Clarity"
Chapter 7 "Syntax II"
Read Robert Harris's Writing with Style and Clarity
Chapter 5 "Clarity"
Chapter 7 "Syntax II"
For Wednesday: Copy, unwrite, and compose types 29-32
29 Metanoia
30 Parenthesis
31 Appositive
32 Merismos
29 Metanoia
30 Parenthesis
31 Appositive
32 Merismos
Wednesday, February 23rd
Complete:
29 Metanoia
30 Parenthesis
31 Appositive
32 Merismos
29 Metanoia
30 Parenthesis
31 Appositive
32 Merismos
Read Forsyth Chapter 33, 36
Read Robert Harris's Writing with Style and Clarity
Chapter 4 "Transition"
Read Robert Harris's Writing with Style and Clarity
Chapter 4 "Transition"
For Monday: Copy, unwrite, and compose types 33-42
33 Paromologia
34 Anankaeon
35 Ethopoeia
36 Prosopopoeia
37 Characterismus
38 Metabasis
39 Apostrophe
40 Dikaeologia
41 Procatalepsis
42 Horismos
33 Paromologia
34 Anankaeon
35 Ethopoeia
36 Prosopopoeia
37 Characterismus
38 Metabasis
39 Apostrophe
40 Dikaeologia
41 Procatalepsis
42 Horismos
Week 7
Monday, February 28th
Complete:
33 Paromologia
34 Anankaeon
35 Ethopoeia
36 Prosopopoeia
37 Characterismus
38 Metabasis
39 Apostrophe
40 Dikaeologia
41 Procatalepsis
42 Horismos
33 Paromologia
34 Anankaeon
35 Ethopoeia
36 Prosopopoeia
37 Characterismus
38 Metabasis
39 Apostrophe
40 Dikaeologia
41 Procatalepsis
42 Horismos
Read from Jay Heinrich's book Thank You for Arguing, chapter 19: "Get Instant Cleverness."
Read Robert Harris's Writing with Style and Clarity
Chapter 6: "Syntax I"
Chapter 6: "Syntax I"
Read: Forsyth Chapters 18, 22
For Wednesday: Copy, unwrite, and compose types 43-48
43 Zeugma
44 Diazeugma
45 Prozeugma
46 Mesozeugma
47 Hypozeugma
48 Syllepsis
43 Zeugma
44 Diazeugma
45 Prozeugma
46 Mesozeugma
47 Hypozeugma
48 Syllepsis
Wednesday, March 2nd
Complete:
43 Zeugma
44 Diazeugma
45 Prozeugma
46 Mesozeugma
47 Hypozeugma
48 Syllepsis
43 Zeugma
44 Diazeugma
45 Prozeugma
46 Mesozeugma
47 Hypozeugma
48 Syllepsis
Read: Forsyth Chapters 1, 13, 23, 28,
Read Robert Harris's Writing with Style and Clarity
Chapter 14: "Sound"
Chapter 15: "Drama"
Chapter 14: "Sound"
Chapter 15: "Drama"
For Monday: Copy, unwrite, and compose types 49-58
49 Synoikeiosis
50 Aporia
51 Hypophora
52 Erotesis
53 Paralepsis
54 Litotes
55 Paromoion
56 Epitrope
57 Parrhesia
58 Aetiologia
49 Synoikeiosis
50 Aporia
51 Hypophora
52 Erotesis
53 Paralepsis
54 Litotes
55 Paromoion
56 Epitrope
57 Parrhesia
58 Aetiologia
Week 8
Monday, March 7th
Complete:
49 Synoikeiosis 50 Aporia 51 Hypophora 52 Erotesis 53 Paralepsis 54 Litotes 55 Paromoion 56 Epitrope 57 Parrhesia 58 Aetiologia Rhetorical Tropes
Read Robert Harris's Writing with Style and Clarity Chapter 3: "Emphasis II" and chapters 8 and 9: "Figurative Language I" and "Figurative Language II" Read Forsyth Chapter 34 For Wednesday: Copy, unwrite, and compose types 59-62
59 Irony 60 Meiosis 61 Hyperbole 62 Simile |
Wednesday, March 9th
Complete:
59 Irony 60 Meiosis 61 Hyperbole 62 Simile Read Forsyth Chapters 27, 29
For Monday following spring break:
Copy, unwrite, and compose types 63-67 63 Analogy 64 Metaphor 65 Catachresis 66 Metonymy 67 Synechdoche |
Spring Break (week 9)
Spring Break: Week of March 14th
The life of a mythology derives from the vitality of its symbols as metaphors delivering, not simply the idea, but a sense of actual participation in such a realization of transcendence, infinity, and abundance, as this of which the upanishadic authors tell. Indeed, the first and most essential service of a mythology is this one, of opening the mind and heart to the utter wonder of all being. And the second service, then, is cosmological: of representing the universe and whole spectacle of nature, both as known to the mind and as beheld by the eye, as an epiphany of such kind that when lightning flashes, or a setting sun ignites the sky, or a deer is seen standing alerted, the exclamation "Ah!" may be uttered as a recognition of divinity.
(Joseph Campbell The Inner Reaches of Outer Space: Metaphor as Myth and as Religion 18)
Week 10
Monday, March 21st
Complete:
63 Analogy 64 Metaphor 65 Catachresis 66 Metonymy 67 Synechdoche Read from Stanley Fish's How to Write a Sentence and How to Read One, chapters 1-4.
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Wednesday, March 23rd
Proposing the Unit 3 project
Week 11
Monday, March 28th
Read from Stanley Fish's How to Write a Sentence and How to Read One, chapters 5-7
Workshopping the proposal
Wednesday, March 30th
Workshop final project
Week 12
Monday, April 4th
Workshop final project
Read from Stanley Fish's How to Write a Sentence and How to Read One, chapters 8-10
Recommended Reading: from Tufte's Artful Sentences, chapters 12 and 14.
Wednesday, April 6th
Workshop final project
Recommended Reading: from Jeanne Fahnestock's Rhetorical Style, chapter 13--especially "Figures of Speaker/Audience Construction" (291-303)
Figures of thought as figures of speech act
Week 13
Monday, April 11th
Workshop final project
Read Joseph Campbell's "Mythological Themes in Creative Literature and Art"
Wednesday, April 13th
Workshop final project
Week 14
Monday, April 18th
Workshop final project
Read from Jay Heinrich's book Thank You for Arguing, chapter 20: "Change Reality."
Read Holcomb and Killingsworth Chapter 6 "Tropes" and Chapter 7 "Schemes"
Read Holcomb and Killingsworth Chapter 6 "Tropes" and Chapter 7 "Schemes"
Wednesday, April 20th
Workshop final project
Week 15
Monday, April 25th
Conferences
Wednesday, April 27th
Conferences
Finals Week
Monday, May 2nd
Time: 2:45 - 4:45