20.1 



STANDARD DICTIONARY OF FACTS 



and his nobility of soul, we do not comprehend 

 until he stands before Godfrey Cass and offers 



a his daughter. It is 1 

 George Ehot can describe mob moments as this 



:ie is ranked among the 



-ts. Shakespere sin ii all writers 



[on -i.n or de- 



.1 with con- 



-. hut with ideas, either separately 

 or in nun! 



-. with 



often intro- 



ion or description 



.planation. to give a point 



-it nation more fully. 



An Essay is a composition which aims to 

 B certain subject. 



.-ss elaborate than a treat i-e, an.l varies 



_th from I rhool rxerci-e to the 



Maeanlay. or Kmerson, or 



Carlyle. Editorial*. Ift r /<*. Criticisms, are 

 familiar forms of the essay. 



An Kditorial may be called a short essay, 

 of the editor on some subject 

 of the day. 'The editorial is very different from 

 the news item which was classed under narra- 

 The reporter simply records facts without 

 personal cornnent. whereas it is the business 

 of the editor to record facts and give opinions, 

 explaining where necessary, and commending 

 or condemning as occasion requires. News- 

 papers set forth social and political problems 

 of a local or national character, and it is the 

 aim of the editorial to shape public thought. 

 Back of the editorial "we" is the personality 

 of the writer; but sometimes the writer himself 

 is lost in the political party or organization 

 which the paper or magazine represents. 



Reviews are more elaborate forms of edi- 

 torials, they deal with the subject at greater 

 . and are more exhaustive in the discus- 

 sions. Reviews often treat of literary subjects, 

 as book review-, music, art, lives of noted men, 

 explorations, etc. 



< ri t h-is ii is are for the purpose of setting 

 forth excellence and defects, and are designed 

 to be constructive rather than destructive, as 

 are pointed out that the true principles 

 upon which the work is constructed may be 

 better understood. 



Argumentative Discourse is for the 

 purpose of establishing the truth or falsity of a 

 proposition. Its aim is to modify or induce 

 It is a umed that there is reasonable 

 doubt in the minds of the hearers, and by rea- 

 sonable argument they must he convinced. In 

 the conduct of such a discourse the subject or 

 proposition is first stated briefly and concisely, 

 then follow the arguments drawn up in order 

 and. finally, the conclusion, which consists of a 

 inent of the proposition reinforced by 

 the strength of the arguments. In (lie presenta- 

 bate, both sides must agree on the 

 preliminary statement or proposition, and then 

 each >ide mii-t furnish proof to establish the 

 truth of the main proposition as pn-.-ented af- 

 firmatively or negatively by that side. 



Persuasion is the highest type of argu- 

 mentative discourse,, and includes al 



lectures, sermons, orations. The aim of persua- 

 >ion is so to move upon the feelings of the audi- 

 ence as to influence the will. In exposition and 

 ntation the appeal is to the will, but 

 the end of oratory has a view to action. .Mark 

 Antony, over the dead body of Caesar, aimed 

 to excite the populace to violence. 



Orations are elaborate compositions and 

 are delivered on formal occasions, as Daniel 

 Webster's Bunker Hill oration, Edward Kveret I 's 

 (iettysburg oration, the orations delivered by 

 Burke, and Peel, and Fox. Clearness and 

 force are strong qualities in an oration, but, in 

 addition to these, all the beauties of composition 

 are in place. As oratory is the highest form of 



Erose composition, nothing, trivial or low in 

 manage or thought should be allowed. The 

 main idea should be clothed upon by language 

 and gesture. Words must be made alive. 



Addresses and Speeches are less 

 formal than orations, yet they all admit of the 

 three-fold structure into introduction or ex- 

 ordium, body or argument, and conclusion or 

 peroration. The strength of the discourse de- 

 pends upon the skill with which each part is 

 handled. Ready and fluent speech are desir- 

 able qualities in all public speaking; but the 

 ornate language of an oration woula, on ordi- 

 nary occasions, be out of place. 



A Lecture is less formal than an oration, 

 but it demands a scholarly presentation of a 

 subject in a clear and logical manner. The 

 subject presented should be of importance, not 

 too familiar, and presented in such a way as to 

 interest and instruct. 



Sermons are the most familiar forms of 

 discourse. They are founded usually upon 

 some passage of Scripture, and are intended for 

 instruction. Besides their expository character, 

 sermons usually contain appeals to the listener, 

 and admonitions. The theme of the sermon is 

 presented in the Bible text; and in addition to 

 this, it is often necessary for the minister to 

 make explanatory remarks before he begins 

 the body of his argument. The introduction 

 must contain a clear putting of the question, 

 all necesssary explanation must be made, and 

 usually an outline is given of the plan to be fol- 

 lowed in the body of the sermon. It is interest- 

 ing to note the three kinds of arguments used 

 in the body of a sermon. 



First, there is the argument of fact. This 

 is an argument which appeals directly to sense 

 and reason, and not to prejudice. The audi- 

 ence is assumed to be impartial, and concrete 

 questions are presented to their judgment. 



Second, argument of principle is also ad- 

 dressed to the reason of the audience, and not 

 to feelings or interests. Arguments of facts es- 

 tablish or disprove some concrete matter of 

 human experience, whereas argument of theory 

 or principles establishes the fundamental law 

 upon which the judgment of those facts is based. 



Third, argument of policy aims to persuade 

 by appeals to motives of action. It aims to in- 

 fluence the will to act in harmony with the prin- 

 ciples outlined in the previous arguments of fact 

 and theory. What is right is presented as the 

 expedient. The "I ought" becomes an obliga- 

 tion. It is through the medium of the feelings 



