So about five years ago I received an unsolicited book in the mail called Classical English Rhetoric by Ward Farnsworth. I mentioned it here briefly. I began reading it but as good as it is, it is not the sort of book one sits down to read cover to cover. It is more of a dip in and out of sort of book as well as a reference book. So I never finished reading it.
The other day in the mail comes a book package with another copy of Classical English Rhetoric in it, this time in paperback along with a new book by Ward Farnsworth called Classical English Metaphor. These came, both times, directly from the author.
Also in the package was a cheeky letter from Mr. Farnsworth expressing his disappointment when he saw that about a year after he sent me his book I had posted about A Tale of Two Cities and mentioned the book’s use of repetition wondering what it was called. He takes me to task in this letter because in his book he names this technique and uses Dickens to do it. He goes on to say that he has enclosed the paperback copy in case the hardcover he originally sent me was no longer handy because “Every household should have one in case of rhetorical emergency.” This made me laugh out loud.
I am pretty sure the original copy is still floating around somewhere but if Mr. Farnsworth were to ever see the state of my book organization he would be aghast that I could call myself a librarian. So, I appreciate both the thoughtfulness and the cheekiness. It really made my day! I even had to call Bookman and read him the letter so I could have someone else laugh with me.
Mr. Farnsworth predicts that if I spend ten minutes with his new book, Classical English Metaphor, that I will immediately see it is my kind of book and be compelled to tell the world about it. And he is right. So here I am telling the world, or at least all of you, about it.
In his preface, Mr. Farnsworth extolls the value of metaphor, how it can “make unfamiliar things familiar, invisible things visible, and complicated things easier to understand.” It can also create humor, feeling, surprise and let us not forget, it can be used to make a great insult. Plus, metaphors can be just plain delightful in and of themselves.
The book is structured into sections with titles like “The Use of Animals to Describe Humans,” and “Occupations and Institutions.” At the beginning of each section is a brief comment on the type of metaphor in question before we launch into examples. And the examples are abundant and delightful. An example at random:
I’m capable of a great jerk, an effort, and then a relaxation — but steady every-day goodness is beyond me. I must be a moral kangaroo!
Compliments of Elizabeth Gaskell in Wives and Daughters.
The book ends with a chapter on the construction of similes and another on the construction of metaphors with plenty of additional illustrations of style and technique.
Classical English Metaphor is a book to be dipped into while waiting for the bus or in the doctor’s office or when looking for inspiration or a few moments of fun. Both this book and Classical English Rhetoric will be given a place on my reference shelf and be kept forever handy in case of rhetorical or metaphorical emergency. That way in a few years when Mr. Farnsworth writes his next book, he will not be able to give me a hard time about anything.
Well THIS SOUNDS GREAT, I must say. One of my very favorite things in nonfiction is when an author can give me vocabulary to describe something that, experientially, I already know happens. It’s why I like reading about mistakes our brains make — I feel much better about making errors if I can say I made them because of the availability heuristic. :p
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Jenny, both books are really good and there are so many excellent examples employed that you get a good idea of the use and effectiveness. Plus if you pay attention and can remember things (unlike me!) you can increase you vocabulary and impress your friends 🙂
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A cheeky rhetorician! I love it! Classical rhetoric is part of what I teach to the students who work for me. I love that some people remember the names of the all the figures and tropes.
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Jeanne, I know! He is by profession, however, a law professor, actually dean of a law school in Texas which might explain the cheekiness 🙂 I am very bad at remembering all the names of things so I am really impressed when others can!
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How amazing!
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Valorie, a funny surprise and a couple of good books 🙂
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A moral kangaroo? Harrumph. I’ve read that book, but don’t recollect that insult on our national icon. I’m not sure that metaphor works …
But, love this post and the fact that he clearly reads your posts. Sounds like a book I’d be interested in. I love knowing the names of literary devices and the more obscure ones aren’t always easy to find.
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whisperinggums, obviously Gaskell never had the chance to see how fast and smooth a kangaroo moves when it really gets going!
I was surprised and delighted 🙂 I like knowing the names of literary devices too but they don’t seem to stick in my head for very long. Farnsworth’s book is very thorough and includes both the popular and obscure. Now I just have to be sure to look it up next time I have a question about it!
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No, and she should have been in my suburb yesterday when, as we were driving back home, we turned a corner it find three kangaroos bounding up towards us in the middle of the road. Our suburb is on the side of so we often see them, but not usually in the middle of the road in the middle of the day.
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I’ve downloaded Classic English Rhetoric to my kindle. Seemed like the perfect book to have in that format – as long as I remember it’s there!
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whisperinggums, ha, I will be expecting to see correct identification of rhetorical techniques cropping up in your posts now 😉
It boggles my mind that you can drive down your street and have kangaroos hopping down the middle of it. But I suppose they might be something like the wild turkeys I see around town now and then.
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What? First you insult our kangaroos by posting a quote that implies they are not moral, and now you’re calling them turkeys? 😉
Kangaroos! Kangaroos! Don’t insult my kangaroos! And that, in case you don’t know it, is EPIZEUXIS (the couplet followed by the singlet variation)!
(I think my reading group is going to be very impressed next month! Either that, or they’ll be after your blood!)
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So the book is paying off already! I will have to come up with further insulting things to say about kangaroos to help inspire you to even higher rhetorical heights 😀
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Ha ha Stefanie , I dare you, I dare you, I double dare you. What’s that do you reckon? Something about repetition of phrases with variation. 😃
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I am laughing so hard right now! 😀 Give me some time and those giant jumping rats won’t know what hit them!
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Since I’m both humored, and horrified, by the ramblings of your dear author-admirer, I suppose that means I should consider having a reference like this in my midst. {drums fingers on laptop…hmmmm}
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bikurgurl, ha, I have to admit to at first being taken aback but then I couldn’t do anything but laugh as the tone was clearly meant to tease. Both books are good references and I am glad to have them 🙂
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Cheeky, cheeky, cheeky!! Love it! I can already think of a couple of people I would like to gift it too!!!!!
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What a great line, I can imagine Niles Crane cracking that one in a top notch Frasier episode!
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Ian, I should put the book on my wall like a fired extinguisher and put a sign next to it “In case of rhetorical emergencies” 🙂
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cirtnecce, he cracked me up and I really appreciate it! Either book would make a great gift for the word nerd or literature inclined 🙂
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I’m green with envy. Both of these are available on B&N, I see. Love the cover art on both (does your copy of the new one have two rats dressed up as jurists? I would say that is a worthy metaphor!)
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Grad, they are great little books and Mr. Farnsworth is a hoot. The cover is actually two foxes, and yes that is what is on my copy of the book which is still appropriate and a bit of extra humor because Farnsworth is a law school dean 🙂
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Ha! Foxes will do quite well. I knew Farnsworth taught law (not sure where I learned that, but we tend to pick up obscure little tidbits of information as we go along.) In fact, the use of his name in the title “Farnsworth’s….” is very law treatise-y
like Brown’s Pleading & Practice or Agnor’s Evidence, but much more fun, I’ll wager. I might order these.
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Grad, we have his book on contracts on the reserves shelf where I work 🙂 Foxes do work quite well!
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It sounds like the kind of book I would almost immediately set aside and lose somewhere in our overstuffed bookcases, too, but the author will be happy to see your review, and will be watching for you to use some of your newly acquired terminology in the future, I’m sure!
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Laurie, ha, yes I had better be sure to not disappoint him again with my lack of rhetorical knowledge, who knows what kind of letter he might send me next! 😉
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This book sounds like something that I would really like. I tend to get a lot of books about bookish topics.
In addition, as you describe it, the book sounds like a lot of fun.
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Brian, both books are good and of potential usefulness in addition to providing pleasure to people who enjoy words 🙂
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Sounds really useful – I experience rhetorical emergencies at least 20 times a day…..
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Sue, well then, you might find this book comes in handy! 😀
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Sounds useful enough, you never know when you’ll have a rhetorical or metaphorical emergency. If one day Mr. Farnsworth writes a book on cinematic metaphors, do let me know. 🙂
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Arti, you will be the first one I tell! 🙂
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I just found out, after my long absence, a post in Whispering Gum’s blog devoted entirely on Farnsworth, quoting you. Have you read it?
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Arti, yes! She just posted it over the weekend 🙂
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Hah–too fun! You have an admirer who follows you and now you Have to make sure you read the books! And a follower with a sense of humor–does that come out in his books, too? And those new ones that are so shiny and interesting and that you cannot wait to start reading have a way of getting mixed in all those piles!
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Danielle, the books are a bit more serious and the sense of humor much lower-key but it is still there in the books.
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There’s a nice review of this by Michael Dirda in the Washington Past of 20/4/16 called “What does this remind you of?” I rushed out and bought it straight away and I must say I’m tempted by Rhetoric too.
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