A Scholarly Edition of Samuel P. Newman’s A Practical System of Rhetoric

Series: 

Author:
Beth L. Hewett
In A Scholarly Edition of Samuel P. Newman’s A Practical System of Rhetoric, Beth L. Hewett argues that Newman, an American nineteenth-century rhetorician, has been unfairly judged by criteria disconnected from his goals and accomplishments. His exceptionally popular textbook is important for how he engaged received theory, fit practice to the era, struggled with age-old questions of thought and language, and spoke to his readers. He operationalized the concept of taste, giving it functionality for invention, and inflected Belletrism with American illustrations suited to the nascent, uniquely American communicative requirements of a democracy. Hewett’s modern scholarly edition contextualizes this book as the serious work of a scholar-educator, demonstrating its values in the context of nineteenth-century American rhetorical and textbook history.
Copyright Year:
2021
E-Book (PDF)
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Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-44150-7
Publication:
23 Nov 2020
Hardback
Availability:
Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-43760-9
Publication:
26 Nov 2020
Cover A Scholarly Edition of Samuel P. Newman’s <i>A Practical System of Rhetoric</i>

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Beth L. Hewett, PhD, CT (Defend & Publish, LLC) is an independent scholar who studies and publishes books and articles in nineteenth-century American rhetoric, online writing and literacy instruction, and death and bereavement. She mentors academic writers and coaches.
Foreword
Acknowledgements

Introduction
 1 Samuel P. Newman: A Scholar-Educator
 2 Samuel P. Newman’s Life and Work
 3 The State of Rhetoric and Oratory at Bowdoin College
 4 Newman’s Place in Nineteenth-Century American Rhetoric
 5 The Evolution of a Practical System of Rhetoric
 6 Introduction to the Scholarly Edition Copy Text
 7 Conclusion

A Practical System of Rhetoric



Introduction: The Advantages Proposed To Be Attained by the Study of Rhetoric

Chapter First: On Thought as the Foundation of Good Writing
 Plan of the Work
 Extensive Knowledge Essential to the Good Writer
 Discipline of Mind Essential to the Good Writer
 Habit of Patient Reflection Necessary
 Method
 Amplification
 Different Kinds of Composition
 Selection of a Subject
 Introduction
 On the Statement of the Subject
 On the Plan or Divisions
 Arrangement
 Transitions
 Conclusion
 Narrative and Descriptive Writing

Chapter Second: On Taste
 Definition of Taste
 Sensibility as Connected with Taste
 Standard of Taste
 Taste as Affected by the Intellectual Habits
 Objects on Which Taste Is Exercised
 Connexion of Taste with the Imagination
 Value of Models of Excellence in the Arts
 Explanation of the Word Picturesque
 Revolutions in Taste
 Different Qualities of Taste Explained
 Different Uses of the Word Taste
 Technical Taste
 Taste of Comparison
 Philosophical Taste

Chapter Third: On Literary Taste

Chapter Fourth: On Skill in the Use of Language
 Section I.—On Verbal Criticism
 Section II.—On the Composition of Sentences

Chapter Fifth: On Style
 Section 1. On the Qualities of a Good Style
 Section 2. On the Modes of Writing, Which Characterize the Productions of Different Individuals
 Section 3. On Modes of Writing Suited to Different Subjects and Occasions

Exercises on Chapter I
 Exercise I
 Exercise II
 Exercise III
 Exercise IV
 Exercise V

Exercise on Chapter III

Exercise on Chapter IV

Exercise on Chapter V

Historical Dissertation on English Style
 Of English Style before the Revival of Letters
 From the Revival of Letters to the Reign of Elizabeth
 Reign of Elizabeth
 Reign of James I
 Charles I. and the Commonwealth
 Reign of Charles II

Contents

Appendix 1: Preface (1st 1827 with 2nd 1829 Edition Content-Base Revisions)
Appendix 2: Introduction (1st 1827 with 2nd 1829 Edition Text-Base Revisions)
Appendix 3: Examples of Content-Base Revision Changes in Newman’s Chapter 1
Appendix 4: 4th 1834 Edition Chapter 1 Exercises
Appendix 5: 4th 1834 Edition Chapter 2 Exercises
Appendix 6: 4th 1834 Edition Chapter 3 Exercises
Appendix 7: 4th 1834 Edition Chapter 5 Exercises
Appendix 8: Preface from 1837 London Edition
Appendix 9: Of English Style before the Revival of Letters
Works Cited
Index
Scholars interested in the history nineteenth-century American rhetoric, its trends, and its textbooks, as well as anyone interested in Samuel P. Newman or the history of New England’s publishing, Bowdoin College, or Harvard.
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