Intro to Style

1. Intro to Style By: James White Herrick: 83-84; 107-111

2. Aristotle on Style • Delivery unworthy of systematic discussion, but must be since it is a part of rhetoric • What are your initial thoughts on the importance of delivery? • “The way in which a thing is said does affect its intelligibility” (Aristotle1404a). (83). • “Really effective delivery is hard to teach because ‘dramatic ability is a natural gift’” (83). • If you don’t have this natural ability, do you have any hope when it comes to giving speeches? Is this still viable

3. Clarity • A speaker must have a good ear for everyday spoken language (83). • How important is language choice? • If I used language ‘above’ my audience, how much would it impact my message? • “Naturalness is persuasive” (83) • How does this compare to the Sophists view of highly stylized speaking and the Isocrates with polished written style? Which is better today?

4. Metaphors • “Metaphor. . . Gives style clearness, charm, and distinction as nothing else can” (84). • Metaphors are a slippery slope • Should you risk metaphors or only use these when you know they are sure things? • This is another thing he views as one thing that cannot ‘be taught by one man to another’ (Aristotle, 1405a). • Is it worth teaching or should we just not partake if we are not gifted naturally? • https://www.ethos3.com/2014/08/5-incredibly-bad-speeches/

5. Sublimity • A measure of the impact that literature combining the emotion combined with great ideas has on readers • What impact does it have on readers today? • Can it make or break a piece of work?

6. Five sources of great writing • They “presuppose the power of expression without which there is no good writing at all” (Longinus). • Vigor of mental conception • Strong and inspired emotion • (These two are not something anyone can teach you) • Benefited by artistic training • Adequate fashioning of figures (both of speech and of thought) • Dignified and distinguished word-arrangement • Are any of these more important? • Do you have to have all five to be successful?

7. The Use of Examples • The use of figures of speech can enhance writing and speaking (108). • Does this follow the same principles as the metaphors? • Do you have to be naturally skilled at it or can you be taught this? • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stanley-fish/trumps-good-bad-speaking-_b_8064902.html • Figures and feelings have a relationship: they “make style more emotional and excited’ and emotion is an ‘essential part of sublimity’” (109). • What do you think about this? • You must stick with the subject: If you go off subject, does it lose any of its power?

8. Second Sophistic • Can be described as ‘the triumph of display oratory, mainly in the Greek part of the empire” (109). • They made speeches at games • Chrysostomos and Aristides • Showed move to using rhetoric to shape public policy • Is this a good use of it? • Intent on preserving heritage of Hellenism in language, literature, rhetoric, and religion (110). • Democracy and rhetoric have a connection • What is this connection to you? • Should rhetoric have a big impact on our views and democracy?

9. Sources • Herrick • https://www.ethos3.com/2014/08/5-incredibly-bad-speeches/ • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stanley-fish/trumps-good-bad-speaking-_b_8064902.html