Literary Rhetoric

Heinrich F. Plett was Professor of English at the University of Essen (1972-2004) where he founded the Center for Rhetoric and Renaissance Studies. He co-founded the International Society for the History of Rhetoric in 1977. He has organized many conference on rhetoric, poetics, and Renaissance literature and has published extensively on the same topics.

• Table of ContentsPart I Rhetoric and LiteratureIFrom the Decline of Rhetoric to its RevivalIIRhetorical LiteratureIII Literary RhetoricIV Rhetoric and Literary CriticismPart II The Realm of Rhetoric1Approaches to Rhetoric2Domains of Rhetoric3The Rhetoric of Figures4The System of Figures4.1Proposal for a New Model of Figures4.2Model Comparison as Model Critique4.2.1Historical Models of Figures4.2.2Modern Models of Figures4.2.3Critical Synopsis4.3Pragmatic and Semantic Figures5Competence and Performance6The Aesthetics of FiguresPart III ― The System of Figures1Phonological Figures1.1Phonaesthetic Basic Structure: The Phonological Figures1.1.1Figures of Phonological Deviation (Metaphonemes)1.1.1.1Addition1.1.1.2Subtraction1.1.1.3Permutation1.1.1.4Substitution1.1.1.5Text Analysis: Ernst Jandl, etüde in f, v. 1-31.1.2Figures of Phonological Equivalence (Isophonemes)1.1.2.1Position1.1.2.2Extent1.1.2.3Similarity1.1.2.4Frequency1.1.2.5Distribution1.1.2.6Text Analysis: Gerard Manley Hopkins, The Windhover1.1.2.7Digression: Semantic Aspects of Phonaesthetics1.2Phonaesthetic Superstructure: The Prosodic Figures1.2.1Phonaesthetic Competence: The Metre1.2.1.1Figures of Accent1.2.1.1.1Position1.2.1.1.2Extent1.2.1.1.3Similarity1.2.1.1.4Frequency1.2.1.1.5Distribution1.2.1.2Figures of Pause and Pitch1.2.2Phonesthetic Performance: Rhythm1.2.2.1Deviating Stresses1.2.2.2Deviating Pauses1.2.3Text Analysis: William Shakespeare, A Midsummernight's Dream V.i. 108-117.1.3The Interrelationship of Phonemes and Prosodic Figures2Morphological Figures2.1Figures of Morphological Deviation (Metamorphemes)2.1.1Intra-word Deviation2.1.1.1Addition2.1.1.2Subtraction2.1.1.3Permutatution2.1.1.4Substitution2.1.1.5Text analysis: Lewis Carroll: Jabberwocky2.1.2Contextual Deviation2.1.2.1Diastratic Deviations2.1.2.2Diatopic Deviations2.1.2.3Bilingual or Multilingual Deviations2.1.2.4Diachronic Deviations2.1.2.5Digression: Deviation of the Word Class (Conversion)2.1.2.6Text Analysis: E.E. Cummings, anyone lived in a pretty how town2.2Figures of Morphological Equivalence (Isomorphemes)2.2.1Position2.2.2Extent2.2.3Frequency2.2.4Distribution2.2.5Similarity2.2.5.1Polyptoton2.2.5.2Paronymy2.2.5.3The Ambiguity of Word Play2.2.5.3.1Homophonous Word Play2.2.5.3.2Polysemic and Homonymic Word Play2.2.5.3.3Homeophonic Word Play (Paronomasia)2.2.5.3.4Homeographic Word Play (Eye Rhyme)2.2.6Text Analysis: George Herbert, A Wreath3Syntactic Figures3.1Figures of Syntactic Deviation (Metataxemes)3.1.1Addition3.1.2Subtraction3.1.2.1Ellipsis3.1.2.2Zeugma3.1.3Permutation3.1.4Substitution3.1.5Text Analysis: Carl Sternheim, Das Fossil I.iv (excerpt)3.2Figures of Syntactic Equivalence (Isotaxemes)3.2.1Similarity3.2.2Frequency3.2.3Extent and Position3.2.4Distribution3.2.5Phonological, Morphological and Semantic Aspects3.2.6Text Analyses3.2.6.1Bertolt Brecht, Lob der Partei3.2.6.2William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar III.ii.13-47 (Brutus' speech)4Semantic Figures4.1Figures of Semantic Deviation (Metasememes)4.1.1Addition4.1.2Subtraction4.1.3Permutation4.1.4Substitution4.1.4.1Similarity Tropes (Metaphers)4.1.4.2Contiguity Tropes (Metonymies)4.1.5Text Analyses4.1.5.1Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Kennst du das Land ...?4.1.5.2Emily Dickinson, I like to see it lap the Miles4.2Figures of Semantic Equivalence (Isosememes)4.2.1Text Analyses4.2.1.1Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene III.i.464.2.1.2Andreas Gryphius, Die Hölle5Graphemic Figures5.1Figures of Graphemic Deviation (Metagraphemes)5.1.1Addition5.1.2Subraction5.1.3Permutation5.1.4Substitution5.1.4.1Substitution within the same Graphemic System5.1.4.2Substitution outside the same Graphemic System5.1.5Text Analyses5.1.5.1Ernst Jandl, onkel toms hütte5.1.5.2Gerhard Rühm, schweigen5.2Figures of Graphemic Equivalence (Isographemes)5.2.1Text Analyses5.2.1.1Gerhard Rühm, die ersten menschen sind auf dem mond5.2.1.2A Poem by E.E. Cummings5.2.1.3Václav Havel, antreten6Textological Figures (Text Figures)6.1Figures of Textological Deviation (Metatextemes)6.1.1Addition6.1.2Subtraction6.1.3Substitution6.1.4Permutation6.2Figures of Textological Equivalence (Isotextemes)7Intertextual Figures7.1Figures of Intertextual Deviation (Meta-Intertextemes)7.1.1Substitution (Citation/Quotation)7.1.2Permutation (Cento)7.2Figures of Intertextual Equivalence (Iso-Intertextemes)Bibliography Indices1Index of Names2Index of Subjects