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SIXTY

C01\1POSITION-TOPICS
FOR STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOLS
AND COLLEGES

WITH HINTS ON ESSAY-WRITING

BY

JESSIE McMILLAN
SMITH COLLEGE, A.B.

SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY
NKW You: ••• BOSTON ••• CHICAGO

Harvard Col:~. 1 J,i. b: a.ry

Dec. 20, 1911:/
'
, ,
'l'rans f erred from

lild:ucation Library.

Cupyrignt, 1894,
BY SI~VER, BURDETT AND COMPANY.

Bni'omitJ! 'tm:
JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

NOTE.
AssuMING that, in connection with class-

work in Rhetoric and Literature, the student
of English is required to write an essay, and
that he has some freedom of choice as to
topic and method, I take up the points on
which suggestion may be helpful, in the order
of their actual occurrence to him.
]. M.A.

CON TEN TS.

I.
PAGE

> CHOICE

OF SUBJECT

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I I.
Pl.AN,

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Oil ANALYSIS

~ ~ El.AJIOllATION

III.
OF POINTS •

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IV.
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: Jl'OlUI OF FINISHED COMPOSITION •

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VI.
COMPOSITION AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR IN THE STUDY
OF RHETORIC

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FlGUllES OF SPEECH

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VII .
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SIXTY COMPOSITION-TOPICS.

I.
CHOICE OF SUBJECT.

but what he can do least well; as a man
wishing to gain physical strength exercises
his weakest parts. Still, he must not do this
to the point of discouragement.
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it is an economical way to read history, topically, whether it be history of wars or of arts
or of sciences.
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he find himself inclined to

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SIXTY COMPOSl1'ION-TOP/CS.
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be too rigidly statistical, he must cultivate
his imaginative faculty; and as he reads,
endeavor to throw himself into innermost
sympathy with the throb of life and thought
in distant century or continent.
If he find himself neglecting to be accurate,
and permitting his pleasure in imaginative
sketching to render him careless of actual
detail, let him, in his reading and writing,
test every point, and be sure that he commit
no anachronism or other untruth.
Again, if he choose an argumentative subject, his attention will be turned toward the
method of handling the subject. If it be his
temptation here to present the truth in technical simplicity of logical form, he must
devote his energy to putting flesh on th~
skeleton, that we may be convinced of the
strength and beauty of the frame, by seeing,
not the actual interworkings of the joints,
but the lithe and impressive movements
of the rounded limbs. If, on the other
hand, he be tempted to graceful but empty

CHOICE OF SUBJECT.

9

expression, he must - to continue the figure
- study anatomy.
Thirdly, if the student's fancy be inactive, he
must exercise it; to say nothing of writings
purely imaginative, he will otherwise never
appreciate the simplest metaphor. Half of
our every-day expressions are crowded with
figurative meaning; and to him who sees
the application only in its syllogistic form,
the beauty of language, whether spoken or
written, will always be dim.
So much as to the importance of cultivating the imagination ; as to the best means,
much may be done outside of literature, by
studying music or painting; but much may
be done, too, by reading the works of authors
who have imagination, whether they write fiction or history: and very much by attempting to write stories and fancy sketches.
As to the last point, I would say that if
the student find that he uses too long words,
or expresses his thought vaguely, let him set
himself to write for children; and before he

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SIXTY COMPOSITION-TOP/CS.

interests them, he will speak simply and to
the point.
The following topics are suggested rather
as starting-points for lines of thought than
as set limits.
The classification makes no special claim
to originality, but is adopted as on the ~hole
the most natural one. The advantage of
having division-lines remains, though it is
not easy to draw them, and we shall often be
guilty of cross-division.
I will indicate sixty subjects, under the
following heads: I. HISTORICAL. - Matters of Fact.

r. The "Consiglio Grande" of Florence,
in the sixteenth century.
Compare it, in its constitution and influence, with the popular assembly of any other
city, in classical or modern Europe.
2. Pope Julius, and his relation to Italian
art; especially his patronage of Michael
Angelo and Raphael.

CHOICE OF SUB.JECT.

II

3. The present quarrel over Turkey. Position and authority of the Sultan; his relation
to the other monarchs of Europe.
4. Beethoven and Mendelssohn, Michael
Angelo and Raphael. Compare two with
two in regard to character, work, and
influence.
5. Luther and Savonarola as reformers.
6. Friendship of Goethe and Schiller.
7. Friendship of Carlyle and Emerson.
8. Position of the Sophists in the esteem
of their contemporaries. Influence on the
subsequent development of Rhetoric.
9. What proportion of literary men have
led secluded lives, as compared with those
that have taken vigorous part in public
affairs?
IO. Give a brief outline of United States
politics.
I I. Compare Macaulay's History of England with any other work covering the same
ground.
12. Mention certain almost universal pro-

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verbs, with the various forms under which
they have appeared among different peoples.
13. Give an account of the translations of
the Bible.
14. Position of the Jews of the present day
in the countries of Europe and Asia.
1 5. Short sketch of Creole history.
16. The Brooklyn Bridge. Compare it
with any like structure in Europe.
I 7. The Alhambra: its historical position
and influence.
18. Influence of novels in politics. For
example, "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
19. Domestic architecture in America.
20. The debt of the Middle Ages to the
Saracens.
II. IMAGINATIVE. - Matters of Fancy.

A story about dolls, for little children.
A fairy-story, in rhyme.
3. A landscape. Make a picture for me,
that I may see a forest or a solitary mountain
or a ruined city, with a pair of birds or an
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CHOICE OF SCBJECT

eagle or a lonely maiden.

Make it

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something.
4. Take " What's Mine 's Mine," and
sketch Ian and Alister, at some point in the
novel where MacDonald does not stop for
description.
5. Describe an incident in the life of
Luther, picturing the details.
6. Study one of J. G. Brown's street-boy
pictures, and. write a story from it.
7. Autobiography of a stylographic peo.
8. Interpretation of Mendelssohn's "Volkslied."
9. An old soldier's revery.
IO. Change " Little Women," and make
"Jo" marry "Laurie."
I I. With the background of Ebers' " The
Sisters," write a little story as by-play to the
main plot.
I 2. Imagine a meeting between a Spartan
and a modern Russian.
13. Write a Socratic dialogue on the principles of American education.

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SIXTY COMPOSITION-TOPICS.

14 A dream. Make it appear as an actual

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dream, keeping the vague, flitting aspect of '
things, and the inconsequent action of the
mind, so that I shall dream as I read.
15 . What the katydids say.
16. What the November winds and the
March winds say to the pines.
17. A bowl of pansies; personify their
faces.
18. Take any "continued story" that you
are in the middle of reading, and write out
some chapters ahead.
19. A Reception to the public, at the
White House.
20. Given, a dirty canal-boat, with the low,
square box for the family living-room; a
• d
.
. one
tire
woman leanmg
over a stove m
corner, and some ragged children crowding
under the bed: - put some element into that
ife that shall make a day of it interesting
ater:al for a story.

...

CHOICE OF SUBJECT.

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III. ARGUMENTATIVE. - Matters of Opinion.

How far may an author depart from
his central theme or aim?
May a biographer write a general history?
May a general historian write a philosophy?
May a novelist be at the same time a
moralist?
2. Mannerisms in artistic production:
How far justified by genius?
How far inevitable to individuality of style?
How far despicable in imitators?
3. Eclecticism, as illustrated by Cousin in
Philosophy.
Unworthy of the highest type of mind?
What are its justifications?
'What its effect on future schools or individual thinkers?
4. Plea for a "boarding-school education": - a little knowledge of many things,
so long as it is consciously only a beginning,
widens one's sympathy, cultivates one's
appreciation.
I.

5· Newspapers: their proper function; nee-

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SIXTY COMPOSITION-TOPICS.

essary difference between city and country
issues; influence on the different grades of
society.
6. Plea for the study of Anglo-Saxon and
Early English; necessary to the study of
English words, literature, history.
7. On a priori and a posteriori grounds,
decide whether or not all novel-plots have
been exhausted.
8. How is the boundary-line between the
Individual an<l the Universal to be practically
determined?
For example, in an appeal to an audience,
how far is human nature human nature the
world over, and how far must the orator be
governed by the special character of his
audience?
In telling a child a story, what points are
to be relied on as universally interesting to
children, and what must be modified for the
individual?
9. Which is the more courteous, - the
typical Englishman or the typical German?
Or are they incommensurable quantities?

CHO.lC'E OF SUBJECT.

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ro. How do city and country people compare, as to individuality and independence
of thought and custom?
I

c. Ollght the misdeeds or shortcom-

ings of eminent writers - either public, like
Bacon's, or private, like Carlyle's - to be

unnecessarily reported, with the certainty
of weakening the influence of their best
writing?
I z. On what principle and to what extent
is success a test of literature?

13. Is Spencer's definition of style, on the
basis of economy of mental attention, an
adequate one ?

r4. May not the study of geography and
history be treated to more advantage as one
than as two departments?

15. What a re the relative advantages of
the grammatical and natural methods of
teaching modern languages?
16. What credit is due to the professional
literary critic?

r7. In what points is deference to public
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SIXTY COMPOSITION-TOPICS.

opinion a worthy restraint on individur:,
taste?
18. Is a pun the lowest form of wit?
19. What are the theory and scope c:1 ·
summer-schools of philosophy, science, c ·
language?
20. Comparative merits of the lead in i:
magazines of the nineteenth century.

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I I.
PLAN, OR ANALYSIS.

of course, 1t may need
modification. But the
very
guidance this will give to the detailed
thought that follows, will more than make
up for the time expended on it.
In a story or sketch, the plan will be a
simple affair. In a formal, argumentative
composition, the analysis must follow the
rules laid down in the science of Rhetoric; but it must never, in striving to be
complete and logical, become too elaborate
or exhaustive.
I will give an unpretentious example of
what I mean in these two cases.

SIXTY COMPOSITION-TOPICS.

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Plan for a Child's Story.

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A little boy goes into the woods, and spies
a balloon hanging to a tree. He climbs into
it. The balloon carries him for days, and at
last drops him at the North Pole. Every..
thing is ice, but he does not feel cold. All is
exceedingly beautiful. He finds Santa Claus
in a palace, with fairies making Christmas
things. The little fellow wakes. and hears
his nurse calling him to supper.
Analysis.

Does Politeness ever require the sacrifice
of Principle?

I . Introduction.
1.
2.

What is Politeness?
What is Principle?

II. Three Classes of People.
I. Those who boast of sacrificing politeness to principle.
2. Those who are polite at the expense of
principle.

PLAN, OR ANALYSIS.

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3. Those who claim to be at the same
time courteous and honest

III.

Politeness a Form of Principle.
IV. Conclusion.

Politeness never at war with Principle.

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II I.
ELABORATION OF POINTS.
H

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ERE nothing but the widest principles
may be laid down: 1. Keep the parts of the essay in good

proportion.
2. Never have abrupt transitions.
3. Make the meaning of each point in
the analysis clear and strong, by simple
amplification, by practical examples, or by
analogy.
4. Do not conclude so abruptly that the
reader will stop with a mental jerk; nor so
slowly that his patience will be exhausted,
and the end have u.n effect of anti-climax.

IV.
CRITICISM OF ONE'S OWN WORK.
HERE, too, all rules may be referred to the
one principle of the " golden mean."
1. Let the composition lie untouched for
a week. Then look it over cautiously. Study
the arrangement, the individual sentencestructures, the words. Be sure that you have
used, in every instance, the word to fit the
thought; that your grammatical construction
is faultless and forcible ; that the arrangement of the whole is strong, natural, graceful.
2.
Do not criticise too much. There is
such a thing as cutting out every trace of
originality and of real strength, in the effort
to conform the composition to rules. There
is no fault to be found with the statement
" Two and two make four," except that it
is bare. Your writing is not to be made
faultless after that model.

v.
. FORM OF FINISHED COMPOSITION.
¥ ~ •pa1t br i gqp3hle gf 12cilliant writing;

==-?!?2rrr.sr?-~
of

cJ$°g your
ess~~·~~ ~+~~ure
;:::.-.
in th is is inexcusable.
The general rules gi\'en here may be modified according to the individual taste of the
teacher: Write neatly and legibly, with black ink
2. Write only on one side of the paper.
3. Leave a margin for critical remarks or
corrections.
4. Number your half-sheets, and inclose
them in a whole sheet, without folding.
5. On the cover, write your name and the
date; on the first inside page, the subject and
. the plan or analysis ; on the second page,
begin the essay proper.
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VI.
COMPOSITION

AN ESSENTIAL

FACTOR

IN THE STUDY OF RHETORIC.

THE

word RHETORIC is interesting in two
ways: first, it is from the Greek, and
reminds us that in the study of its principles

we shake hands with Aristotle ; secondly, the
original word reiers, not to writing, but to
speaking, and so makes us forget our notion
of mechanical words· on a page, and think
simply of the sending of thought from one
mind to another.
This transmission of thought without loss
of delicacy or of strength, is the task of
Rhetoric.
Now, in the apprenticeship to this business, are two distinct rooms: in the one, '\\;'.e
must study what has been done by other
workmen; in the other, we must work ourselves.

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SIXTY COMPOS/1'/0N-TOPICS.

We shall try to show in the next few pages
how closely related these departments are,
under three natural divisions of the subject:
I. The Study and Use of Words.

1•

The study of the origin and history of
English words is exceptionally fascinating,
because the English language is heir to so
many ancient parent tongues. The wealth
of thought treasured in our most ordinary
English words is worth looking for, and it
is impossible to return to a careless, spendthrift use of the most common of these, after
we have found in them what Trench calls the
"p~etry, history, and ethics" of the ages.
In proportion as you know Greek and
Latin and Anglo-Saxon will this word-study
take you by storm ; but it will not be without its abundant reward even if you must
take in blind faith the dictionary derivation.
If you doubt this, spenfll one hour in verifying
your negative belief. Look up the following
words in a good dictionary or book of syn-

COMPOSITION AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR.

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onyms, studying carefully the roots, the
various meanings and distinctions in their
historical order, and the special meanings
under the hands of standard authors; and
then use the words again as blindly and
unenthusiasticaily as before, if you can: Hand (with its compounds).
Strong.
Interest.
Pontiff.
Polyp.
Demon.
Tulip.
Hazard.
Panic.
Idea.
Prophet.
Pond.
Legend.
l\lusic.
Condolence.

Metropolis.
Sympathy.
Parchment
Telegraph.
Phosphorus.
Heliotrope.
Compassion.
Commiseration.

Or, take this passage concluding Dr. Storrs'
Oration at the opening of the Brooklyn
Bridge: study heedfully the words in italics,
and see if the meaning be not tenfold more
emphatic, and the expression more full of
grace and vigor, than before: "Surely we should not go from this hour,
which marks a new era in the history of these
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us that, so far forth as in us lies, with their
increase in numbers, wealtlt, equipmeut, shall
also proaed with equal step their progress in
whatever is noblest and best in p1,blic and
private life; that all which sets humanity
forward shall come in them to ampler mdow• meut, more renow1ted exllibition: so that, linked
together, as hereafter they must be, and seeing
the purple deepening in their robes of power,
they may be always increasingly conscious o.f fulfilled obligation to the nation and to God; may
make the land, at whose magnificent gateway
they stand, their constant debtor, and may contribute their mighty part toward that ultimate
perfe~t human society for which the seer could
find no image so meet or so majestic as that
of a city, coming down from above, its stones
laid with fair colors, its foundations with
sapphires, its windows of agates, its gates
of carbuncles, and all its borders of pleasant
stones, with. the sovereign promise resplendmt
above it:
' And great shall be the peace of thy children.'"

COMPOSITION AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR.

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It may seem at first that the beauty of the
words disappears in the slow process of analysis. Cutting up a beautiful word to examine
its elements is like tearing apart a flower to
study the sections under the microscope.
But even if our specimen fade in the handling, all other flowers take on, thereafter, an
added beauty. Do not be afraid of heartless
work in word-analysis; it is a clumsy means,
but the end is the immediate perception of
beauty.
This critical process must be carried on
till your sense . of an author's words is
keen and subtle. Then you are ready for
creative work. In writing exercise5 with
Diction specially in view, think of two
things: First. Use words that are absolutely good,
- that have a standing in the English language.
Secondly.

Use words that are relatively

good; - to borrow Trench's figure, words
that fit the thought as a garment should fit

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SIXTY CO.lfPOSITION-TOPICS.

the wearer; neither too wide nor too narrow,
and suitable in style.
As to the first point, you will often have
a choice between Latin and Saxon equivalents. Your decision may be determined
somewhat by individual preference for staid
philosophical terms, or for the decisive, pithy
Saxon. The character of the subject must
largely govern your selection.
Two negative rules may be given here: Never use extravagant or slangy expressions.
Avoid unnecessary introduction of foreign
words and technical terms.
As to the second point, have a well-defined
thought to begin with; then,
(a) Do not be content with the first word
that occurs to you, but look around a little,
for a choice.
(b) Use a specific word rather than a
general one, a concrete rather than an abstract word.
(c) Leave out useless words. From many

COMPOSI TIO N A N E SSEN TIA L FACTOR.

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words we expect much, as we look for a great
volume of sound from many voices. If the
weaker members be left out, the stronger are
much more telling.
For example, compare these two remarks:
"She's a wonderfully charming girl, and
I am particularly inclined to take a fancy to
her."
" She is charming, and quite captivates
me."
Study Herbert Spencer's "Essay on the
Philosophy of Style" when you can. It will
elucidate this point.
(d) Sometimes, again, the words may be
fitted to the thought in their very sound, with
onomatopoetic effect. Discordant words give
an impression of strife or harshness; smooth
liquid words, of gentleness and serenity.
Note, for example, how Carlyle makes his
stern thought sterner by harsh words:
"These two principles of Dandiacal selfworship or Demon-worship, and poor-slavish
or Drudgical Earth Worship, or whatever that

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SIXTY COMPOSITION-TOPICS.

same Drudgism may be, do as yet indeed
manifest themselves under distant and nowise considerable shapes ; nevertheless, in
their roots and subterranean ramifications,
they extend throughout the entire structure
of Society, and work unweariedly in the
secret depths of English national existence;
striving to separate and isolate into two contradictory, uncommunicating masses."
Now read the same author's words when
he writes of human sympathy and affection; and watch the diction and order of
rhythm:
" With other eyes, too, could I now look
upon my fellow-man; with an infinite Love,
an infinite Pity. Poor, wandering, wayward
man ! Art thou not tried and beaten with
stripes, even as I am? 0 my Brother, my
Brother, why can not I shelter thee in my
bosom, and wipe away all tears from thy
eyes!"

COMPOSITION AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR.

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II. Arrangement of Words in Sentences,

First study the effect produced by the
masters, in the use of the various types of
sentence; and then learn to use these with
some degree of the same skill in your own
writing.
For example, notice the direct method of
Emerson, with its effect of immediate appeal
to the reader:
" I do not wish to treat friendships daintily,
but with roughest courage. When they are
real, they are not glass threads or frost-work,
but the solidest thing we know."
Contrast with this the inversions and involutions of the more meditative style of
Swinburne's essays: "The very essence of Mr. Browning's aim
and method, as exhibited in the ripest fruits
of his intelligence, is such as implies above
all other things the possession of a quality
the very opposite of obscurity, - a faculty of
spiritual illumination rapid and intense and
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subtle as lightning, which brings to bear '
upon its central object by way of direct and
vivid illustration every symbol and every ;
detail on which its light is flashed
passing."
Each of these types of sentence may
perfected on its own line, - with all degrees
of intricacy between the two; the simple
and the multiplex sentence - construction,
clothing the simple and the multiplex forms
of thought - will always arise spontaneously .. ·
from the corresponding types of mind ;
neither extreme can be safely used as a
model, and the taste for more or less of inversion and intricacy of arrangement must be
allowed its natural development in each
student.
111. Division of Paragraphs.

We find in different writers widely varying
principles in regard to this matter. The
general law is that each paragraph should
be the elaboration of one point or sub-point
m the analysis ; though much depends on

COMPOSITION AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR.

35

the mechanical consideration of length. In
dialogue-writing, each new speaker - no
matter how short the speech- must begin
with a new paragraph; and this must continue throughout, whenever a change is made
in the speaker.

