Notes with contemporary literary theorists that language is figurative rather than referential. Advocates using the four "master tropes"--metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony--as a conceptual framework for the composing process. Suggests that these tropes each represent different strategies for presenting experience, categories for…

Argues that the topic sentence can be a valuable rhetorical strategy. Examines the origin and development of the topic sentence concept, considers twentieth century criticisms of the topic sentence, and argues that readability research on the topic sentence and schema theory supports the value of using topic sentences in expository prose. (HTH)