Composition-Rhetoric

Composition-Rhetoric

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Composition-Rhetoric, by Stratton D.
Brooks This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and
with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Composition-Rhetoric
Author: Stratton D. Brooks
Release Date: April 20, 2004 [EBook #12088]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
COMPOSITION-RHETORIC ***

Produced by Kevin Handy, Dave Maddock, John R. Bilderback and PG
Distributed Proofreaders

COMPOSITION-RHETORIC
BY
STRATTON D. BROOKS _Superintendent of Schools, Boston, Mass._
AND
MARIETTA HUBBARD _Formerly English Department, High School
La Salle, Illinois_
* * * * *
NEW YORK - CINCINNATI - CHICAGO AMERICAN BOOK
COMPANY
1905 STRATTON D. BROOKS.

Entered at Stationers' Hall, London.
* * * * *
Brooks's Rhet. W.P. 10
To MARCIA STUART BROOKS Whose teaching first demonstrated
to the authors that composition could become a delight and pleasure,
this book is dedicated......

PREFACE
The aim of this book is not to produce critical readers of literature, nor
to prepare the pupil to answer questions about rhetorical theory, but to
enable every pupil to express in writing, freely, clearly, and forcibly,
whatever he may find within him worthy of expression.
Three considerations of fundamental importance underlie the plan of
the book:--
First, improvement in the performance of an act comes from the
repetition of that act accompanied by a conscious effort to omit the
imperfections of the former attempt. Therefore, the writing of a new
theme in which, the pupil attempts to avoid the error which occurred in
his former theme is of much greater educational value than is the
copying of the old theme for the purpose of correcting the errors in it.
To copy the old theme is to correct a result, to write a new theme
correctly is to improve a process; and it is this improvement of process
that is the real aim of composition teaching.
Second, the logical arrangement of material should be subordinated to
the needs of the pupils. A theoretical discussion of the four forms of
discourse would require that each be completely treated in one place.
Such a treatment would ignore the fact that a high school pupil has
daily need to use each of the four forms of discourse, and that some
assistance in each should be given him as early in his course as possible.
The book, therefore, gives in Part 1 the elements of description,
narration, exposition, and argument, and reserves for
Part II a more complete
treatment of each. In each part the effort has been made to adapt the
material presented to the maturity and power of thought of the pupil.
Third, expression cannot be compelled; it must be coaxed. Only under

favorable conditions can we hope to secure that reaction of intellect and
emotion which renders possible a full expression of self. One of the
most important of these favorable conditions is that the pupil shall
write something he wishes to write, for an audience which wishes to
hear it. The authors have, therefore, suggested subjects for themes in
which high school pupils are interested and about which they will wish
to write. It is hoped that the work will be so conducted by the teacher
that every theme will be read aloud before the class. It is essential that
the criticism of a theme so read shall, in the main, be complimentary,
pointing out and emphasizing those things which the pupil has done
well; and that destructive criticism be largely impersonal and be
directed toward a single definite point. Only thus may we avoid
personal embarrassment to the pupil, give him confidence in himself,
and assure him of a sympathetic audience--conditions essential to the
effective teaching of composition.
The plan of the book is as follows:--
1. Part 1 provides a series of themes covering description, narration,
exposition, and argument. The purpose is to give the pupil that
inspiration and that confidence in himself which come from the
frequent repetition of an act.
2. Each theme differs from the preceding usually by a single point, and
the teaching effort should be confined to that point. Only a false
standard of accuracy demands that every error be corrected every time
it appears. Such a course loses sight of the main point in a multiplicity
of details, renders instruction ineffective by scattering effort, produces
hopeless confusion in the mind of the pupil, and robs composition of
that inspiration without which it cannot succeed. In composition, as in
other things, it is better to do but one thing at a time.
3. Accompanying the written themes is a series of exercises, each
designed to emphasize the point