Composition: History & Theory: 1865 - 1899
Hill, Adams Sherman: The Principles of Rhetoric and Their Application (1878)
Description
The Principles of Rhetoric and Their Application was Hill’s first textbook, and became one of the most widely-used texts in American composition classes. Hill revised and expanded the textbook in 1895. He begins the textbook with a section on “Grammatical Purity,” which includes sections on Good Use, Barbarisms, Solecisms, and Improprieties. He then addresses “Choice and Use of Words,” which includes discussions of word choice and arrangement. In the second half of the textbook, he examines “Kinds of Composition,” including “Narration and Description,” and “Argumentative Composition.” His Appendix addresses Punctuation and Capital Letters. In his 1895 revision, he expanded many of his sections and deleted his Appendix.
Although his textbook does not add to or expand upon rhetorical theory, along with Hill’s other textbooks, it was used in colleges throughout the United States for several decades.
Author
Matthew Nunes
Date of Upload
04/19/11