Introduction to Rhetoric

Cairns, William B., 1867-1932

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Last modified: 06/07/2019

1900 printing of the 1899 copyrighted text. William B. Cairns is credited as having a Ph.D. and as Instructor in English in the University of Wisconsin. A thorough guide that divides its focus on style and invention. Cairns's text seeks to teach rhetoric in a familiar way without introducing new terms or definitions. He argues principles are dependent on usage and that style and invention should be treated together. Style and invention have independent sections, but each contain cross references to the other. Long illustrative texts are used rather than scattered short ones and appear at the end of chapters. Part one, style, has two chapters: Language determined by usage, and language adapted to the Needs of the reader. The first covers spelling, grammar, and word usage. Chapter two covers qualities of style (clearness, force, ease, unity) and a section of qualities expressed in full sentences. Part 2, invention, has chapters on narration, description, exposition, argumentation, and persuasion. The prefaces credits Genung and A. S. Hill as influences.The Schultz Archive includes the complete text, and the scans are fairly good quality.

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