Argues that the antagonism which exists between rhetoricians and literary scholars derives partly from the disciplines' differing approaches to the act of writing. Suggests that literature and composition can most clearly be seen as compatible arts within the framework of the theory and history of rhetoric. (MS)

Presents an informal history and criticism of a rhetorical style that proposed a set of rules designed to pin words and syntax down so that a writer's meaning could not be misconstrued. Describes how the style was appropriated for textbook use by an innovative group of American writers during the mid-nineteenth century. (AEW)