On Eloquence"On Eloquence" questions the common assumption that eloquence is merely a subset of rhetoric, a means toward a rhetorical end. Denis Donoghue, an eminent and prolific critic of the English language, holds that this assumption is erroneous. While rhetoric is the use of language to persuade people to do one thing rather than another, Donoghue maintains that eloquence is gratuitous, ideally autonomous, in speech and writing an upsurge of creative vitality for its own sake. He offers many instances of eloquence in words, and suggests the forms our appreciation of them should take.Donoghue argues persuasively that eloquence matters, that we should indeed care about it. Because we should care about any instances of freedom, independence, creative force, "sprezzatura," he says, especially when we liveperhaps this is increasingly the casein a culture of the same, featuring official attitudes, stereotypes of the officially enforced values, sedated language, a politics of pacification. A noteworthy addition to Donoghue s long-term project to reclaim a disinterested appreciation of literature "as literature," this volume is a wise and pleasurable meditation on eloquence, its unique ability to move or give pleasure, and its intrinsic value." |
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Page 5
... common life and local relations , even if it was limited to those practices . At least it kept itself free from the sophistications of Europe ; it did not need to be eloquent so long as it was decent . George Chapman wrote in 1575 : " I ...
... common life and local relations , even if it was limited to those practices . At least it kept itself free from the sophistications of Europe ; it did not need to be eloquent so long as it was decent . George Chapman wrote in 1575 : " I ...
Page 83
Denis Donoghue. eye of Ambiguity ( 1930 ) it was common to emphasize the ambiguity of literature and to rise to one's own little eloquence by ac- knowledging it . Here ... common with what he'll be- Like Something Almost Being Said / 83.
Denis Donoghue. eye of Ambiguity ( 1930 ) it was common to emphasize the ambiguity of literature and to rise to one's own little eloquence by ac- knowledging it . Here ... common with what he'll be- Like Something Almost Being Said / 83.
Page 84
... common will fatally elude him , for his infernal cunning will have been only his genius in an inef- fectual disguise . It is impossible to understand " why the note [ Limbert ] strained every chord to pitch for common ears should ...
... common will fatally elude him , for his infernal cunning will have been only his genius in an inef- fectual disguise . It is impossible to understand " why the note [ Limbert ] strained every chord to pitch for common ears should ...
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Aeschylus alliteration appear asked become better Blackmur blue body Burke chapter claim comes common Complete context criticism culture death Donne Eliot eloquence English Essays expression eyes face feeling figures force further given gives goes hand hold human ideas imagination instance John keep kind King knock language later Latin least leave light Literature live London look Macbeth matter meaning merely mind moving nature never night object Oxford passage passion phrase play pleasure poem poet poetry possible present question quoted reader reading reason refers relation response rhetoric rhythm seems sense sentence silence song sounds speak speech story style talk tells things thought tion trans translation tree turns understand University Press whole words writing York