ENG 5903.50
Special Topics: Rhetorical Figures of Speech
Summer III 2008
Rhetorica
Course Name, Number, and Description: ENG 5903.50. Special Topics: Rhetorical Figures of Speech. The Texas Woman's University General Catalog 2005-2007 describes ENG 5903 in this way: "ENG 5903. Special Topics. Investigation in traditional lecture format of a specific literary or linguistic topic. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and an undergraduate concentration in English. Three lecture hours per week. Credit: Three hours. May be repeated for credit when the specific topic of investigation varies."
Over ten weeks, we will take a close look at style in rhetoric, specifically about 2,500 years of discussion about figures of speech called tropes and schemes--language used to create special effects in language. These special effects can include clarity, emphasis, or even altered meaning (i.e. aposiopesis, parrhesia, catachresis, irony, euphony, procatalepsis, etc.). Figures of speech have been in the toolbox of rhetoric since classical times and are still used today by writers, often unconsciously. Our primary goal will be to master an understanding their key characteristics and their theoretical function in language with the purpose of using them in rhetorical and literary analysis.
Please note that this course is taught entirely asynchronously online. If you have never taken a Blackboard course before or have questions about the format of the class, please contact me at rgreer@mail.twu.edu and arrange for an individual orientation with me during my office hours. Please note also that there is no in-class final examination for the course, but I do require that you post a capstone final examination project (which includes a ten-page research paper that uses multiple sources) in the final examination week forum that I will provide on Blackboard.
Faculty
Contact Information: Office Location, Phone, Hours:
Russell Greer, Ph.D. Associate Professor. Office: CFO 803. E-mail:
rgreer@twu.edu. Fax: (940) 898-2297 (English Department). Office
telephone: (940) 898-2346. Website:
www.russellgreer.com
Most students find they can communicate with me quickly through the course itself online or by e-mail (rgreer@twu.edu). In addition, I will host office hours by appointment in CFO 803 from noon to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and noon to 4 p.m. on Thursdays throughout the Summer III semester (2 June to 7 August) unless otherwise indicated. If I cannot hold regular office hours on a particular day or time, I will make an announcement on my web site. I am typically not available in my office at other times, but I am available by phone and online. You may also leave me a voice mail at (940) 898-2346. I usually check for messages once a day (often in the evenings) and try to return calls promptly.
Please note that I am usually active and available online throughout the week (until 5 p.m.), but I reserve the weekends to be with my family. Please do not expect me to be available online on the weekends.
Course Goals and Student Learning Outcomes:
In this course we seek to master an understanding of the key characteristics of rhetorical figures of speech and to understand their theoretical function in language with the purpose of using them in rhetorical and literary analysis. We will measure how successfully we have done this (student learning outcomes) in the class assignments, particularly the final capstone research paper. Ideally, at the end of this course, you should be able to contribute original thought about this topic suitable for presentation at a professional conference or publication in a professional journal.
List of textbooks and supplies:
(1) Rhetorical Figures in Science by Jeanne Fahnestock (194 pages. Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN: 0-19-516-542-X); (2) A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms by Richard A. Lanham (Second Edition. 205 pages. University of California Press, 1991. ISBN: 0-520-07669-9); (3) Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (242 pages. The University of Chicago Press, 1980. ISBN: 0-226-46801-1); (4) More than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor by George Lakoff and Mark Turner (230 pages. The University of Chicago Press, 1989. ISBN: 0-226-46812-7). Also, we will draw upon essays in (5) The Signet Book of American Essays, edited by M. Jerry Weiss and Helen Weiss (368 pages. Signet Classics. 2006. ISBN: 978-0451530219) .
I will provide a photocopied collection of copied chapters and articles that you must pick up from campus (and return at the end of the course). I will not be able to mail them to you.
Disability Statement:
"If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the office of Disability Support Services (HDB 002, 940-898-3835, dss@twu.edu ) in order to obtain the required official notification of your accommodation needs. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss approved accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate." (Statement supplied by Disability Support Services Office)
Grading Policy, Major Course Assignments and Examinations and Attendance:
1. Capstone Final Examination Project: (1) Capstone Research Paper; (2) Capstone PowerPoint; (3) Capstone Annotated Bibliography; (4) Capstone Self Assessment; and (5) Capstone Summary of Dialogues: 50% Due no later than 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6th on the assigned forum and www.turnitin.com. I will be giving you more specific information about this assignment frequently throughout the semester. Please note that I will give you a grade for this project on your final feedback, but I ask you to meet with me face to face in my office during office hours after the semester for in-depth feedback if you desire it. If you would like this feedback and cannot meet with me during the fall (because, for example, you are graduating), I can try to meet with you between summer and fall semesters. Please contact me at rgreer@twu.edu to make these arrangements after posting your capstone project.
2. Annotated Bibliography (5%) (Week FOUR)
3. Short Paper (10%). 3-5 pages on a topic of your choice. (Week SIX)
4. PowerPoint (5%). (Week EIGHT)
5. Participation (Online Attendance): 30%. Credit is given for postings to the discussion questions, anything posted in your group’s forum for a particular week, special assignments, and the weekly summary. Almost half of your grade will depend on your regular participation online. You must post a minimum of TEN times a week on the discussion question forums (including the weekly summary) and in your groups, when applicable, and once before the end of the day on Wednesday of each week (except for the final week). Some of these postings will be responses to the study questions; others will be preparation of group responses; others will be responses to your classmates. If you do not post at least ten times in the assigned week, do not expect a good participation grade for that week. I will give you a participation grade weekly, but I will announce them only six times: in Week FOUR, Week SEVEN, Week TEN, and for your final grade. Your grade will be determined by (1) the amount of postings and (2)the quality of the postings (equally weighted). I calculate participation for a week that begins on Monday and ends at midnight on the following Sunday. Your postings do not need to be long (100-240 words for a primary answer to a discussion question is adequate, and responses can be shorter), but they DO need to advance the discussion helpfully. Postings only count in the week they are due; in other words you cannot “make up” late postings after the week is over. Postings only count in the following places: (1) the discussion question forums; (2) the weekly summary forum; and (3) your group forum for the week in question (if applicable). Note: Each week you will be asked to answer three discussion questions, one of which will may occasionally be a group question (after the first week) and/or a question about writing the research paper. These discussion questions will allow you to earn participation credit and share ideas with your classmates. At the end of the week you will also post a summary message and attach a Student Summary Form with your best ten postings pasted into the forum. You may revised these postings for spelling, grammar, style, etc. but they should essentially be the same postings that you made in the forums. If you do not attach a summary form, you cannot get participation credit for the week.
Miscellaneous
Instruction
I will provide you a study guide for each author and each novel with some suggestions for critical approaches, plot summaries, recommendations for further reading, etc.
Student Participation Summary Form
You will post a summary to a forum provided after you have completed all your week's postings and attach a "student participation summary" form. You can find this form under COURSE INFORMATION. In this form, you will cut and paste your "top ten" postings from the week. You may edit your postings for grammar and spelling (in fact you SHOULD edit them for grammar and spelling) but not for content (I will check occasionally to make sure that the they represent your actual work from the week). I will use this summary form to assign your participation grade. If you do not submit a summary form, you cannot get credit for the week's work even if you fully participated otherwise.
No Final Examination Required: In lieu of a final examination, you will be required to post a final capstone project and comment on the projects of your classmates during final examination week. You must post your capstone essay to www.turnitin.com and the assigned forum no later than 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6th. I will be giving you more specific information about this assignment frequently throughout the semester. Please note that I will give you a grade for this project on your final feedback, but I require you to meet with me face to face in my office during office hours after the semester (in fall 2007) for in-depth feedback.
Academic Dishonesty:
“Honesty in completing assignments is essential to the mission of the university and to the development of the personal integrity of the student. Cheating, plagiarism, or other kinds of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in appropriate sanctions that may include failing an assignment, failing the class, or being suspended or expelled. Suspected cases in this course may be reported to Student Life. The specific disciplinary process for academic dishonesty is found in the TWU Student Handbook. Tools to help you avoid plagiarism are available through the TWU Libraries’ “Quick Links” under “Research Help” (http://www.twu.edu/library/literacy/index.htm)” (This statement was authorized and mandated by the TWU Provost. November 10, 2005).
Plagiarism:
The following definition of plagiarism appears in Joseph F. Trimmer’s A Guide
to MLA Documentation (Sixth Edition), published by Houghton Mifflin Company
(2004): “Plagiarism is theft. It is using someone else’s words or ideas without
giving proper credit—or without giving any credit at all—to the writer of the
original. Whether plagiarism is intentional or unintentional, it is a serious
offense…You can avoid plagiarism by taking notes carefully, by formulating and
developing your own ideas and by using quotes responsibly to support, rather
than replace, your own work” (25). Note that I have used this quotation from a
source and have given it full attribution. You should do the same with your
sources. I strongly urge you to read the discussion of academic dishonesty that
appears in Section Four of The Student Handbook and Planner 2005-2006
(pages 133-135). I intend to follow TWU policy as outlined in this handbook
exactly. It defines plagiarism in this way: “Plagiarism occurs when a student
obtains portions or elements of someone else's work, including materials
prepared by another person or agency, and presents those ideas or words as her
or his own academic work. The intentional or unintentional use by paraphrase or
direct quotation of the published work of another person without full and clear
acknowledgement shall constitute plagiarism. Students are responsible for
following guidelines of the appropriate course or discipline (ie; MLA, APA)"
(133). In this course, we will use the Modern Language Association (MLA)
format. Penalties for first-time offenses include, at the instructor’s
discretion, any of the following: (1) “Written reprimand”; (2) “Assignment of a
lower grade on the test/paper/project in question, with an explanation from the
instructor”; (3) “Assignment of a 0 on an assignment"; (4) “Assignment of a
grade of F in the course" (134). A discussion of the more severe penalties for
second offenses appears on pages 134-135. If you have any questions about
whether or not a practice constitutes plagiarism, please contact me before you
turn in the assignment.
To have the ability to teach courses online, we must protect the integrity of the course. I am able to teach the course and not require an in-class final examination because I check student work on a plagiarism-checking website. When you submit your essays to the assigned forum, you will also need to post them to www.turnitin.com; that website, in turn, will generate a report for me. I will give you instructions about how to do this on Blackboard. If you have any questions as to whether or not you have used another person's work and not given proper credit, please see me before you submit the work or use www.turnitin.com to check your work BEFORE submitting it to me. You have that option with this program. If you would prefer not to have your work checked by this plagiarism website, that is your right. You would, however, need to make arrangements with me to write your capstone project under my supervision in my office during office hours or in some other closely monitored arrangement. If I cannot check your work with the plagiarism-checking website, I must certify your work in another way.
Tentative calendar of classes, assignments.
Please check here for the Academic Calendar for Summer 2008. Also, please note that this daily syllabus is for planning purposes only and is subject to change. Page numbers for assigned reading (when applicable) are provided.
Week ONE (2-8 June 2008)
Reading:
1. Rhetorical Figures in Science by Jeanne Fahnestock:
"Preface" and "Chapter 1 "The Figures as Epitomes";
2. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (Second Edition) by Richard A. Lanham: Pages 1-20.
2. Week ONE Study Guide and lecture.
Assignments:
1. Post your autobiography.
2. Form learning teams by the end of Week ONE (if you have no preference, I will assign you to a group at the beginning of Week TWO).
3. Answer three discussion questions, post weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.
Week TWO (9-15 June 2008)
Reading:
1. Rhetorical Figures in Science by Jeanne Fahnestock: Chapter 2 "Anthithesis";
2. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (Second Edition) by Richard A. Lanham: pages 21-40.
3. Week TWO Study Guide and lecture.
4. Course Packet: "Looking Back: Figures of Speech and Thought in the Roman World" by Sarah Spence.
5. The Signet Book of American Essays (as assigned)
Assignments:
1. Answer discussion questions, post a weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.
Week THREE (16-22 June 2008)
Reading:
1. Rhetorical Figures in Science by Jeanne Fahnestock: Chapter 3 "Incrementum and Gradatio";
2. Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson: 3-51;
3. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (Second Edition) by Richard A. Lanham: pages 41-60.
4. Week THREE Study Guide and lecture.
5. Course Packet: "Dwelling on a Point: Rhetoric and Love in the Middle Ages" by Sarah Spence.
6. The Signet Book of American Essays (as assigned).
Assignments:
1. Answer discussion questions, post a weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.
Week FOUR (23-29 June 2008)
Reading:
1. Rhetorical Figures in Science by Jeanne Fahnestock: Chapter 4 "Antimetabole";
2. Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson: 52-96;
3. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (Second Edition) by Richard A. Lanham: 61-80;
3. Week FOUR Study Guide and lecture.
4. Course Packet: "The Chiastic Page: The Rhetoric of Montaigne's Essais" by Sarah Spence.
5. The Signet Book of American Essays (as assigned).
Assignments:
1. Answer three discussion questions, post a weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.
2. Annotated Bibliography (5%)
Week FIVE (30 June to 6 July 2008)
Reading:
1. Rhetorical Figures in Science by Jeanne Fahnestock: Chapter 5 "Ploche and Polyptoton";
2. Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson: Pages 97-158;
3. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (Second Edition) by Richard A. Lanham: 81-100.
4. Course Packet: "The Problem of Figuration in Antiquity" by Gerald L. Burns.
5. The Signet Book of American Essays (as assigned).
Assignments:
1. Answer three discussion questions, post a weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.
Week SIX (7-13 July 2008)
Reading:
1. Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson: Pages 159-232;
2. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (Second Edition) by Richard A. Lanham: 101-120.
3. Course Packet: "Surviving Figures" by Gary Lee Stonum.
4. The Signet Book of American Essays (as assigned).
Assignments:
1. Answer all discussion questions, and complete all participation requirements.
2. Short Paper (10%). 3-5 pages on a topic of your choice. Please write one critical essay of 3-5 pages. The essay should be typed, double-spaced, and conform to MLA guidelines. For a topic, you may choose your own or expand one of the assigned discussion questions. Your primary purpose in this essay is to suggest a strong thesis. I recommend that you use your knowledge of rhetorical figures to analyze one of the essays in The Signet Book of American Essay. You may expand your short paper into the capstone research paper.
Week SEVEN (14-20 July 2008)
Reading:
1. More than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor: "Preface" and "Life, Death, and Time";
2. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (Second Edition) by Richard A. Lanham: Pages 121-140.
3. Week SEVEN Study Guide and lecture.
4. Course Packet: "The Figures of Rhetoric in Spenser's Colin Clout" by Sam Meyer .
5. The Signet Book of American Essays (as assigned).
Assignments:
1. Answer all discussion questions, and complete all participation requirements.
Week EIGHT (21-27 July 2008)
Reading:
1. More than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor: "The Power of Poetic Metaphor";
2. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (Second Edition) by Richard A. Lanham: Pages 141-160.
3. Course Packet: Part One from Figures of Thought: A Literary Appreciation of Maxwell's Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism by Thomas K. Simpson.
4. The Signet Book of American Essays (as assigned).
Assignments:
1. Answer three discussion questions, post the weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.
2. PowerPoint (5%). Please use this PowerPoint assignment as a "trial run" for the argument in your capstone research paper. It should be about ten slides long, and you'll post it to a discussion forum I will create.
Week NINE (28 July-3 August 2008)
Reading:
1. More than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor: "The Metaphoric Structure of a Single Poem";
2. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (Second Edition) by Richard A. Lanham: Pages 161-180.
3. Course Packet: Chapter 1. "Human creative cognition and selective processing" by Rosa E. Vega Moreno from Creativity and Convention: The pragmatics of everyday figurative speech.
4. The Signet Book of American Essays (as assigned).
Assignments:
1. Answer three discussion questions, post a weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.
Week TEN (3-7 August 2008: Please note that this is a short week)
Reading:
1. More than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor by George Lakoff and Mark Turner: "The Great Chain of Being and Conclusion";
2. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (Second Edition) by Richard A. Lanham: Pages 181-196.
3. Course Packet: Chapter 3. "Metaphor, interaction and property attribution" by Rosa E. Vega Moreno from Creativity and Convention: The pragmatics of everyday figurative speech.
4. The Signet Book of American Essays (as assigned).
Assignments:
1. Answer three discussion questions, post a weekly summary, and complete all participation requirements.
Final Examination Period (8 August 2008)
Please comment on at least FIVE of your classmates' projects before 9 p.m. on Thursday, 7 August (the official end of the Summer III final examination period. Failure to comment on five projects will result in a deduction of five points from your own final grade. When you have finished posting your comments, gather your best five and post them in the capstone forum labeled "Final Examination Capstone Comments." This dialogue functions in lieu of required attendance at an in-class final examination.
Last updated: 21 June 2008