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Relation of Rhetoric to the Teaching of English. Two Factors Contributing To DOCUMENT 'RESUME ED 027 301 TE 001 211 By-Correll, Robert M. Very Like a Whale--A Report on Rhetoric. Pub Date Oct 65 Note- 7p. Journal Cit-College Composition and Communication; v16 n3 p138-43 Oct 1965 MRS Price MF-$0.25 HC-$0.45 Descriptors-*Composition (Literary), *English Instruction, Expository Writing, Linguistics, *Rhetoric, Speech Skills, Teacher Education, Writing The basic issues of the "new" rhetoric include (1) theways in which contemporary rhetoric is "new", (2) some of the problems facing contemporary rhetoric, and (3) the relation of rhetoric to the teaching of English. Two factors contributing to the concept of a "new" discipline are a revival of interest in classical rhetoric and the development of new approaches to rhetoric based on information from related disciplines. Basic among the current problems is the tendency to confuse the rhetoric that is a theoretical study of discourse (including subjects like logic, semantics, linguistics, and psychology) with the rhetoric that is a summary of precepts about writing and speaking. A teaching rhetoric 'should differ from either of these in that it must attempt to describe the choices available to a writer, explain the effects of the different choices; and, at the same time, be comprehensive enough lo take account of all aspects of composition. More emphasis on rehtoric is needed in the training of teachers at all levels. (LH) Very Like A Whale A Report On Rhetoric ROBERTM.GORRELL "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY /VC -7- TO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING UNDER AGREEMENTS WQH THE U.S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION. FURTHER REPRODUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM REQUIRES PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER." Reprintedfrom College Composition and Communication October, 1965 Vol. 16, No. 3 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE Of EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. Tery Lkea'Whale .ReportonRhetoric 11fIrt1rEi1, P.Relf-vo1)17T T .e. 01.k.TIall1.1.C.J141.4 HAMLET. Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a camel? POLONIUS. By the mass, and 'tis like a camel indeed. HAMLET. Methinks it is like a weasel. PoLoNnys. It is backed like a weasel. HAMLET. Or like a whale? Po LoNrus. Very like a whale. RHETORIC ISVERY Lum an umbrella.viously circulated questions, whichwe Under its expansive shade,more or lesshad all thought about. We found,per- comfortably, clustera variety of subjectshaps, more new questions thananswers semantics, logic, usage, style. Rhetoricto those we already had. We began the is very like an arch. Itspans widely,discussions with feelings of humility bridging psychology, linguistics,sociol-which were reinforced byour proceed- ogy, philosophy. Rhetoric is very likeaings. I have a transcript ofour discussion, dynamo. It is the machinery forgenerat-but I am not attemptinga summary. The ing the ideas and language of communi-comments that follow aremy own, in- cation. Rhetoric is sometimesvery likefluenced by the seminar butnot neces- a whale, with its mouth open, sweepingsarily reflecting it. the ocean. Rhetoric is alsovery like a jelly First of all, to adda metaphor, rhet- fish. oric is very like a chameleon. Andin its The seminar authorized lastyear byrelation to the whole subject of English, the CCCC Executive Committee,to bewhatever that is, it isvery like linguistics organized by the chairman,met Decem-eight or ten yearsago. That is, as linguis- ber 11 and 12 in Denverto discusstics was, rhetoric is the word,or at least rhetoric.' The seminarwas prolific ofis becoming the word. Like linguistics,it metaphors. But we didnot attempt tois possibly threatenedmore by its friends reach conclusionsor to formulate pro-than its enemies. Like linguisticsit means nouncements or recommendations. Wemany different things to different people, centered our attentionon a series of pre-and often it meansvery little. Often it is namsloolpMo, only a reflection of the current fashionin 1 Participants in the seminar.were Waynebook titles, titles which frequentlyare Booth, University of Chicago;Virginia Bur lce, irresponsible in describing University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee;Francis contents. Like Christensen, University of SouthernCalifornia; linguistics, rhetoric is gainingstatus as Edward P. J.Corbett, Creighton University;the new cure-all for the problemsof Robert Correll, University of Nevada,chairman; Albert Kitzhaber, 'University ofOregon; Rich-teaching English. The "new" rhetoricis ard Ohmann, Wesleyan University;James R. plaguing the academic conscience.It squire, University of Illinois; RicharclYoung, seems to ire, therefore, important to con- University of Michigan; and KarlWallace, University of Illinois. In preparing thispapersider the following: ( 1 )some senses in I have been influenced bynumerous commentswhich rhetoric may be "new"; ( 2 )some It from the five reels of recordingtape which theproblems and directions ofcontemporary conference produced, but I donot pretend to express either consensus or the indiviolual viewsrhetoric; and ( 3)some relations of rhet- of participants. oric to the teaching of English. A REPORT ON RHETORIC 139 I suppose that any writer thinks of hisment, rhetoric as a serious study had rhetoric as "new" in some ways, or hetended to disappear from all but the title could hardly justify writing it. Georgeof the freshman course. Looking cynically Campbell, as well as Kenneth Burke,at what was happening in the classroom used the word "new," with reason, Iand what often happens stillone think. Some of the current vitality of thewould find a variety of related subjects notion of a new rhetoric results from an-replacing rhetoric and the study of com- alogy with the new mathematics or theposition surviving mainly in the assign- new grammar. Certainly the "new" rhe-ment and criticism of the weekly theme. toric has gained some status; articles areInvention had become largely a matter beginning to question its existence"theof assigning a book of readings, presum- chimera of a new rhetoric" and the like.ably to provoke thought or stimulate I think, however, that there are legiti-i leas for writing. Disposition was likely mate reasons for considering the newb.: be drill on the form for an outline. rhetoric as more valid than analogy andElocution or style was likely to be mainly more substantial than myth. workbook drill on usage. There was One major reason for the developmentobviously, and still is, need for a new of a new rhetoric is the need, especiallyrhetoric. as it has been disclosed through recent One evidence of the development of a investigations by CCCC and others ofnew rhetoric is a revival of interest in old Freshman English and the teaching ofrhetoric. Recent studies have suggested composition generally. The "philosoph-that classical rhetoric has value beyond ical" rhetoricians of the eighteenth cen-its historic interest, that it can still be :he tury revived interest in classical rhetoricbasis for a working approach.P Anthol- but also from the 1760's on made signifi-ogies of rhetorical studies have begun to cant adaptations, broadening the do-appear, reprinting selections from some main of rhetoric by relating it to bellesearly rhetcrics which are not readily lettres and by approaching the nature ofavailable.4 The reprints of "landmark" rhetorical invention through the psychol-texts by the University of Southern Illi- ogy of the day. Their view persisted innois Press are symptoms of interest, and the nineteenth century; but as it wasmore such reprints are needed. Journals adapted and made "practical" in the text-of the speech associations reveal an ac- book rhetoric of writers like John Genungtive interest in classical rhetoric among or Alexander Bain or Adams Shermanscholars of speech, much of their impor- Hill,itoften approached absurdity.tant work virtually unknown in depart- Philosophicalobservationsabout thements of English. Certainly one kind of nature of discourse were more and morenew rhetoric is a revived and revised commonly translated into dogmatic pro-classical rhetoric. scriptions concerning style and usage, so More dramatic are approaches to rhet- that I. A. Richards in 1936 could expectoric which grow from new knowledge or a good deal of sympathy with his de-new techniques in related disciplines- scription of the "present.state of Rhet- oric" as "the dreariest and least profit- 8 For example, see Edward P. J. Corbett, Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student, New able part of the waste that the unfor-York, 1965, or Dudley Bailey, "A Plea for a tunate travel through in Freshman Eng- Modern Set of Topoi,' College English, XXVI, lish."2 ( 1964 ), 111-17. 4 Among them are Dudley Bailey, Essays Oft Actually, by the time of Richard's corn- Rhetoric, New York, 1965; Joseph Schwartz and John A. Rycenga, The Province of Rhetoric, New 'Philosophy of Rhetoric, New York, p. 3. York, 1965. 140 COLLEGE COMPOSITIONAND COMMUNICATION linguistics,psychology,anthropology, definition of rhetoric something like "the and others. Daniel Fogarty finds the rootsart of effective discourse"io which the for new rhetorics in the work of Kennethseminar kept returning, as a starting Burke or I. A. Richards or the generalplace, at leastwe risk the same sorts of semanticists,5 all of whom owe a goodconfusion through multiple meanings or deal to psychology and other relatedapplications that have confused grammar. disciplines.Structural
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