sling & stone writing assignment TR Progymnasmata Summary fable to convey a truth through a short story where the moral is stated outright, often using flat characters and animals narrative to convey a truth through a longer story utilizing elements of character, setting, and plot where the moral is not stated outright Journalist s questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? (maintains the narrative core) Retelling Narrative (Modes of Narrative): ü Slant make the narrative tell a particular sort of story, a different take or spin from what is in the original; reveal bias ü Direct Declarative just telling it like it is (if the original does not already) ü Condensed retelling the original in fewer words but maintaining the same narrative core ü Indirect Declarative purposely overdone, often using passive voice in order to cast doubt or indicate disagreement (It is said that It is alleged that ) ü Interrogative asking questions that tell the story (Why did I lash out so?) ü Comparative purposely overdone to compare one thing (good) with another (bad). Good for emphasizing moral choice. (Instead of.although.in contrast ) maxim to praise a proverb and make the reader want to adopt it Proverb: state the proverb with a note on its origin, if known Praise: praise the wisdom of the proverb Paraphrase: retell the proverb in different words Context: tell what human experience this proverb could have arisen from Contrast: state an opposite idea to the proverb, with the goal of pointing out that the opposite is foolish Comparison: give a similar proverb Example: give an example of the proverb s wisdom from history, literature, or your own life (must be a specific someone, not a hypothetical example) Testimony: give a quotation from a wise speaker which reinforces the proverb s meaning/truth Epilogue: conclude with an exhortation to admire the proverb and adopt its wisdom
chreia to praise an anecdote and make the reader want to adopt it and admire the person who said/did it Preface: state the anecdote (a short story highlighting a wise saying or action) in the most effective form for your purpose Praise: praise the wisdom of the anecdote and its sayer/doer Paraphrase: retell the anecdote in different words Proposition: state the core truth of the anecdote; this is the thesis of the chreia Purpose: tell why the sayer/doer would have said/done this; what is known from his life to explain why he would want to convey this wisdom Contrast: state an opposite idea to the anecdote s proposition, with the goal of pointing out that the opposite is foolish Comparison: write an analogy using the proposition, a similar big idea Illustration: give an example of the anecdote s wisdom from history, literature, or your own life Invocation: give a quotation from a wise someone that reinforces the anecdote s proposition Epilogue: a final exhortation to adopt the anecdote s wisdom and admire the person who said/did it. confirmation / refutation to support or prove a mythological, historical, or legal fact in a given narrative as plausible or true, or to disprove a fact in a given narrative Introduction: Draw the audience into the topic at hand. Introduce the topic in question, but don t take a position yet. Narrative: Use the techniques you already know about narrative to recall the necessary facts in a way most advantageous to your argument. Make sure your narrative is brief, clear, and plausible. Proposition: Briefly and clearly state your position on the proposition, issue, or question to be argued. This is your thesis. (May be combined with previous section into one paragraph.) Confirmation/Refutation: This is the core of the essay. Apply with good logic the arguments you discovered through the four categories of thought for proving or refuting. Support it as being: ü probable (actor would have motivation, consistent with his manner of life) ü clear (credible witnesses and/or evidence of the fact) ü possible (could have been done according to the laws of nature, proven facts, and circumstances) ü consistent (no contradictions between versions of the story) Conclusion: Sum up your arguments and arouse appropriate emotion (often pity or indignation). You could point out how the story is profitable or not. You could also amplify your central point using an example, a quote, or other means.
common topic to amplify a wrong/evil act (which has already been proven to have happened) in order to show just how horrible that act is (can also be used to amplify how good a good deed is) Prologue: briefly retell the act in question. Contrast the wrongful act with a one that is good or not as bad, to show how much worse the first is. Compare the wrong with a worse wrong, in order to show that the first is just as bad. Intention: consider whether the act was premeditated, which makes it worse. Past Life: reproach a wrongdoer s past life to emphasize how horrible the current deed is. Detail: describe the act in vivid detail to arouse horror, including who is affected by the wrong and anything unique about the wrong done. Legality: call to mind what great concern the matter has been to all people or to important people, such as God, rulers, ancestors, or nations; show how their laws made provision for this wrong. Justice: show that punishment is just and warn judges of what would happen if all who do this wrong are not fully punished. Expediency: show that it is doable and useful to punish the wrong, including how it will prevent many others from doing the crime. Honor: show that punishment is honorable because the wrong was a particularly foul, cruel, sacrilegious, or tyrannical crime. Practicality: show the benefits of punishing the wrong, and warn that if the wrong is not judged rightly, nothing will be able to remedy the mistake. encomium / invective to praise/disparage a man through examining his life, virtues, and deeds and cause the reader to want to admire/despise him Introduction Narrative Amplification of Virtues Amplification of Deeds Closing Open discussion with an introduction leading to a thesis about him. Give a little biography, including notes on education, etc. Describe the strength of his intellectual gifts, spiritual strengths, emotional capacities (intelligence, fortitude, prudence) Explain what he has done that proves his virtue (beauty, strength, speed/agility; wealth, power, love, friendship; honor/praise) Set him up against another of his kind (biblical/historical/literary). Recap a bit of the above to drive home the point in a fresh way
comparison by contrast to praise two people (or things) in close comparison, or praise one and vituperate against the other by treating them together, in parallel fashion. Introduction Stock Upbringing Amplification of Deeds Closing Open discussion with an introduction leading to a thesis about them. Describe the stock each person comes from: what people, what country, what ancestors, what parents Describe each person s education, instruction in arts (science, language, history), instruction in laws (morality) Describe each person's deeds, which should be described as the results of his/her excellencies or evils of mind (such as fortitude/weakness or prudence/indiscretion); his/her excellencies or evils of body (such as beauty/plainness, speed/lethargy, or vigor/lack of vigor); his/her excellencies or evils of fortune (good/ill use of high position, power, wealth, or friends) Conclude with an epilogue including either an exhortation to your hearers to/not to emulate either person, or a prayer characterization (speech-in-character) to portray a man through his speech in order to praise or despise him Categories: pathetical speech (revealing a character s emotions and feelings in a particular situation), or ethical speech (revealing his moral character), or mixed (incorporating both) Patterns: Speakers: present, past, future, or speech of the moment definite (with a name and a fictional or historical identity), or indefinite (with the features of a group or class) description to portray people, actions, and objects through verbal representation appealing to the senses, instincts and emotions in order to praise or despise them Modes of description: time, place, people, action, things Ordering the details: spatial order, temporal order, order of impressions Attributes: clarity and vividness; does not move through time (as narrative does)
thesis to persuasively present a case and convincingly answer a proposed question regarding a topic up for debate Introduction: Draw the audience into the topic at hand. Introduce the topic in question, but don t take a position yet. Narrative: Use the techniques you already know about narrative to recall the necessary facts in a way most advantageous to your argument. Make sure your narrative is brief, clear, and plausible. Proposition: Briefly and clearly state your position on the proposition, issue, or question to be argued. This is your thesis. Confirmation: present confirmatory arguments (proof); consider arguments based on whether it s ü necessary: Does it follow unavoidably from existing conditions, circumstances, or premises? ü possible: Can it be brought about without contradicting proven facts, laws, or circumstances? ü advantageous: Does it lead to beneficial, profitable, or good results? ü easy: Can it be accomplished without any great exertion, expense, or trouble? ü fitting: Is it appropriate to the purpose at hand and to the time, place, occasion and persons involved? ü lawful: Is it recognized, permitted, authorized by, or based on law? ü customary: Is it based on custom or tradition rather than on written law? Is it an unwritten law? ü just: Is it honorable, fair, equitable, and morally right? Refutation: present refuting arguments based upon the previous categories Epilogue: Sum up your arguments and arouse appropriate emotion (often pity or indignation). You could point out how the story is profitable or not. You could also amplify your central point using an example, a quote, or other means.