Progymnasmata

Kelsey Peters Dr. Mary Rist Theories of Rhet/Comp 12 December 2014 Progymnasmata

Introduction Classical rhetorician Quintilian, who lived and taught in Spain ca. 35-ca. 100 was one of the first academics in history to argue that a good rhetor could be defined as “a good man speaking well.” He believed that this man was wholly and broadly educated in many subject areas. Furthermore, Quintilian subscribed to the ideas of Ciceronian rhetoric and he believed a vital component of any rhetorical education was the idea of progymnasmata, “which emerged from a desire to learn to speak and write effectively,” explains Anders and Sigrell (455). Edward P.J. Corbett, a rhetorician, educator, and scholarly author who wrote multiple books on the art of rhetoric and Robert J. Connors, an academic scholar who specialized in discourse defined progymnasmata as “a graduated sequence of rhetorical assignments that students were asked to perform as they became more mature and experienced” (484). Progymnasmata was implemented in a child’s education at age seven (Hagaman 24). It provided a link between grammar and rhetoric and served as the basis for rhetoric (Church et al 543). Progymnasmata has had an important role in our education systems throughout time, from its very beginnings. This paper will aim to discuss the merits of progymnasmata today. Specifically, is progymnasmata an effective tool in teaching first-year writing courses?

This question is of value to explore because it it seldom discussed, though in my research, I have found the idea, with or without the progymnasmata label, to be very prevalent both in theory and in practical application. I can pinpoint many instances in my own education that reflect progymnasmata. This question is an interesting

one because as students, we begin to learn the art of writing from a very early age, and we may not realize it, but there is classical theory at play in both teaching and learning rhetoric. Progymnasmata then, has become a habit of sorts, or a default setting in many educational systems. Perhaps, as Joseph J. Comprone and Katharine J. Ronald argue, writing teachers should be more aware of the history of the subject they are teaching (31).

Sources Consulted For this paper, I have consulted primarily peer-reviewed articles.

All of my sources are written by rhetorical theorists, professors, and high school teachers. The intended audience for the majority of my sources is other educators who work in the writing field.The undergraduate writing/rhetoric major is a fairly new development, with St. Edward’s University being one of only a few school in the United States to offer the field of study until only a couple of years ago.

Therefore, because many of my sources are older, it is important to note that, unless noted, they typically address the first year writing courses, which was the only outlet for theory aimed at the undergraduate student, until recently (Giberson and Moriarty 177).

Findings Many

educators

agree

that

the classical

teachings of

progymnasmata can benefit students as they learn the art of rhetoric, in more ways than one might think. In classical rhetoric, as Corbett and Connors explain, one of the very first exercises in progymnasmata was a “fable, or retelling a folk tale” (484). In this instance, clearly, strong skills in reading lend themselves to strong skills in writing. Comprone and Ronald indicate that reading and writing go hand in hand, so to be better at one means a student will be better at the other (32).

“Progymnasmata were designed to give students practice in various compositional models,” explains Craig A. Gibson, a rhetorical theorist

(Libanius’ Progymnasmata xxi). Gibson focuses his work on the ancient art of progymnasmata, which included a moral element not seen in today’s application (Better Living Through Prose Composition? .

Some theorists argue that progymnasmata is a good curriculum for first-year writing courses, though their reasons differ.

John

Hagaman, who served as the director of the Western Kentucky University Writing Project for 25 years argues that progymnasmata is vital to creating a good foundation for any writer because it serves as a good middle ground between free writing exercises such as free association and structured writing exercises, such as Burke’s pentad (22). Progymnasmata, at its very core, encourages structured creativity, which was Quintilian’s aim (24). Furthermore, Hagaman believes that it encourages students to consider ideas from multiple contexts and points of view (25). The exercises are effective, he explains, because they build on one another, and students tend to respond well to this particular educational structure (26). A.P. Church and Anders Sigrel agree that because more professors are likely to come across developmental and transitional writing students who need help with the basics of writing due to more relaxed admissions requirements, progymnasmata is an effective teaching method because it begins with exercises in imitation, which is a theme throughout, but eventually, students are able to write on their own. Progymnasmata encourages rhetorical analysis and ultimately, the goal is to equip the student with a variety of rhetorical tools. The authors explain further that the emphasis of progymnasmata assignments is not the form, but the content of the essay (546).

Kimberly Wesley would agree with the idea that progymnasmata is effective in teaching students to write. She explains that while many traditional writing exercises indicate that a student should use the Five Paragraph Theme or FPT (an essay comprised of an introduction, three

body paragraphs, and a conclusion), this method of teaching tends to place less focus on the content of the piece and it provides very little space for creativity (Wesley 58). As a secondary educator, she has found that as a result, her students’ essays tend to lack rhetorical analysis and their ideas are not substantially developed (59). These students then, are less prepared for the rigor and demands of college-level writing courses. Brian Ray, a professor of English at the University of Nebraska Kearney believes progymnasmata to be useful in highlighting, and therefore, respecting language differences in students in writing courses (192).

However, not all educators agree that progymnasmata is the best way to teach students the arts of rhetoric or writing at all. Some argue that progymnasmata only teaches students to imitate what they read and they argue for less strict methods. Some, such as Ken Macrorie and Peter Elbow argue for free writing-based exercises while theorist Richard Young argues that more structured exercises are more effective (Hagaman 22). Expressivist Peter Elbow, famous for his book ​ Writing Without Teachers​ , argues that an unstructured writing course, wherein students are not corrected or judged on their writing, is the best way to encourage them to become better writers. Freewriting, or the process of writing whatever comes to mind with no worry about spelling or even coherence, gives students the freedom to worry less about the end product and focus more on the process of writing. It eliminates the desire to edit while writing. Ideally, the student will become more comfortable with writing and thus, better at crafting (Writing Without Teachers 4). He explains that freewriting an opportunity to practice without judgement from oneself or others (Writing With Power 36).

Others argue that first-year writing course are ineffective. Dr. Andrea Deacon, the director of the writing center at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, argues that first-year writing courses should be

modified because they are outdated and they do not help the students to be better writers. In fact, she argues that reshaping the courses is a necessity because pass-rates are not high enough (3). Betty Bamberg, a professor in the English department at the California State University, Los Angeles, agrees that it is imperative that the first-year writing course is fluid and malleable to meet a changing demand from both students and faculty (7). And Erin Penner Gallegos argues that this change is evident in her argument that for first-year writing courses to be effective, students need to feel welcomed into the writing classroom.

They need to feel that their cultural, rhetorical, and social backgrounds are being taken into account and adopted into the curriculum in an inclusive way (4).

Conclusion The majority of my sources indicate that progymnasmata is, in fact, an incredibly useful tool for teaching students to write and to write well. By definition, the employed exercises increase in difficulty as the student becomes a stronger writer (Corbett and Connors 486). This conclusion is important because it indicates that Quintilian’s thoughts about what makes a good writer are relevant today, despite the fact that his school of thought is thousands of years old. So too, though it is apparent that progymnasmata is an effective tool for teaching first year writing courses, it can also be implemented in primary and secondary school, as was done in Quintilian’s time, and it can be employed in non traditional situations, as well. However, common belief is that most college graduates are not effective writers, so a question that arises is whether progymnasmata, which is considered an effective teaching method, is as effective as it should be. Furthermore, David Fleming explains that by the start of the 21st century, first-year writing courses accounted for more credit hours than any other postsecondary course in

the U.S (15). Given this, it is imperative that these courses are taught in the most useful and practical way possible.

Works Cited Bamberg, Betty. "Alternative Models of First-Year Composition: Possibilities and Problems." ​ Journal of the Council of Writing Program Administrators​ 21.1 (1997): 7-18. ​ Council of Writing Program Administrators.​ Web. 16 Nov. 2014.

Church, A. P., and Anders Sigrell. "Cum Poterit—Rhetorical Exercises for Transitional and Developmental Students." ​ Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research​ 49.5 (2005): 543-56. Web. 12 Nov. 2014 Comprone, Joseph J., and Katharine J. Ronald. "Expressive Writing: Exercises in a New Progymnasmata." ​ Journal of Teaching Writing​ 4.1 (1985): 31-51. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.

Corbett, Edward P. J., and Robert J. Connors. "The Progymnasmata."

Classical Rhetoric for The Modern Student​ . New York: Oxford UP, 1999. 484­88. Print. 13 Nov. 2014.

Deacon, Andrea. "Launching Curricular Reform in First-Year Composition: Navigating the Terrain between Buy-in and Burnout." ​ THE CEA FORUM​ 42.1 (2013): 3-25. ​ ERIC​ . Web. 16 Nov. 2014.

Elbow, Peter. "The Dangerous Method: Trying to Write It Right the First Time." ​ Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process​ . New York: Oxford UP, 1981. 39-46. Print. 5 Dec. 2014.

Elbow, Peter. ​ Writing Without Teachers​ . New York: Oxford UP, 1973.

Print. 5 Dec. 2014.

Fleming, David. "Introduction: Freshman Composition in the United States: 1885-Present." ​ From Form to Meaning: Freshman Composition and The Long Sixties 1957-1974​ . Pittsburgh, PA: U of Pittsburgh, 2011. 14-40. Print. 8 Dec. 2014.

Gallegos, Erin P. "Mapping Student Literacies: Reimagining College Writing Instruction Within the Literacy Landscape."

Composition Forum​ 27 (2013): 1-20. ​ Education Research Complete​ . Web. 12 Dec. 2014.

Giberson, Greg, and Moriarty, Thomas A. "Remembering the Canons’ Middle Sisters: Style, Memory, and the Return of the Progymnasmata in the Liberal Arts Writing Major." ​ What We Are Becoming: Developments In Undergraduate Writing Majors​ . Logan, UT: Utah State UP, 2010. 177-203. Print. 14 Nov. 2014.

Gibson, Craig A. "Better Living Through Prose Composition? Moral and Compositional Pedagogy in Ancient Greek and Roman Progymnasmata." ​ Rhetorica: A Journal of the History of Rhetoric ​ 32.1 (2014): 1-30. ​ JSTOR​ . Web. 13 Nov. 2014.

Gibson, Craig A. ​ Libanius's Progymnasmata: Model Exercises In Greek Prose Composition and Rhetoric​ . Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2008. Print. 2 Dec. 2014.

Hagaman, John. "Modern Use of the Progymnasmata in Teaching Rhetorical Invention." ​ Rhetoric Review​ 5.1 (1986): 22-29.

JSTOR​ ​ . Web. 13 Nov. 2014.

Ray, Brian. “A Progymnasmata For Our Time: Adapting Classical Exercises To Teach Translingual Style.” ​ Rhtoric Review ​ 32.2 (2013): 191-209. ​ Literary Reference Center. ​ Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Wesley, Kimberly. "The Ill Effects of the Five Paragraph Theme." ​ The English Journal​ 90.1, Teaching Writing in the Twenty-First Century (2000): 57-60. ​ JSTOR​ . Web. 13 Nov. 2014.

Annotated Bibliography Bamberg, Betty. "Alternative Models of First-Year Composition: Possibilities and Problems." ​ Journal of the Council of Writing Program Administrators 21.1 (1997): 7-18. ​ Council of Writing Program Administrators. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. Betty Bamberg is a professor in the Department of English at the California State University, Los Angeles.

This source is an article published in a journal comprised of articles for and about Writing Program Administrators (WPAs). The audience for this source is other WPAs. The article is written to address some of the problems associated with first-year writing courses. Some argue that the first-year writing course is pointless and should be combined with another course while others argue that it is an invaluable foundation.

This source is useful because it provides a different viewpoint for my essay that does not center on the merits of progymnasmata.

Church, A. P., and Anders Sigrell. "Cum Poterit—Rhetorical Exercises for Transitional and Developmental Students." ​ Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 49.5 (2005): 543-56. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. A.P Church is a professor of writing at the University of Texas-Brownsville and Anders Sigrell is a professor of rhetoric at the University of Lund, in Sweden. This source is a scholarly article. This article's audience is writing professors. It was written to demonstrate how progymnasmata provides (transitional and developmental) students with strategies for writing. The main claim of this article is that progymnasmata can be

used, both theoretically, and practically, in today's compositional education. The writers explain that progymnasmata exercises build on one another through a process of imitation, but the end result is that students have learned the three types of rhetoric (forensic, deliberative, and epideictic), applied all five of the canons of rhetoric (invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery) and elements of stylistic ornamentation (figures of speech and thought). Ultimately, exercises in progymnasmata prepare students to write argumentative pieces on their own.

This source will be useful because it discusses current

applications and importance of progymnasmata.

Comprone, Joseph J., and Katharine J. Ronald. "Expressive Writing: Exercises in a New Progymnasmata." ​ Journal of Teaching Writing 4.1 (1985): 31-51. Web. 13 Nov. 2014. Joseph J. Comprone has written many books about both writing and teaching writing. Katharine J. Ronald is the director of the Howe Writing Initiative at Miami University. She has special interests in composition and rhetoric and rhetorical history. This source is a scholarly article published in the Journal of Teaching Writing, which publishes articles on teaching methods of writing. The audience for this source is teachers of writing.

The purpose of this source is to argue that many composition teachers to not understand the history of the subject they teach, which in turn harms the student. Furthermore, the authors claim that it is imperative that students learn to connect reading and writing and that expressive

writing is an important skill to be taught. The article's main claim is that revisiting progymnasmata in the present day will help students to become better readers and writers. This article is useful because it presents a solid case for the reasons progymnasmata should be used.

Corbett, Edward P. J., and Robert J. Connors. "The Progymnasmata."

Classical Rhetoric for The Modern Student​ . New York: Oxford UP, 1999. 484-88. Print. The authors of this book are Edward P.J, Corbett and Robert J. Connors. Corbett was a rhetorician, educator, and scholarly author who wrote multiple books on the art of rhetoric.

Connors was an academic scholar who specialized in discourse. This source is a chapter of a book. This source was intended for teachers of writing and rhetoric, and it was written to provide a brief history of the beginnings of progymnasmata as well as practical applications for the present day. The article's thesis is that progymnasmata were essential components of any education in the classical period and they can still be of use today. This source provides me with definitive proof that progymnasmata can be useful in modern education.

Deacon, Andrea. "Launching Curricular Reform in First-Year Composition: Navigating the Terrain between Buy-in and Burnout." ​ THE CEA FORUM 42.1 (2013): 3-25. ​ ERIC​ . Web. 16 Nov. 2014. Dr. Andrea Deacon is an associate professor, co-director of the writing center at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and she also serves as the director of first-year composition. This is a peer-reviewed article. The intended

audience for this article is writing professors and those who wish to modify writing course curriculum. This article was written to help administrators and professors launch curriculum reform. The thesis of the article is that there is a need for writing curriculum reform, and she aims to help implement it. This article is helpful because it discusses potential ways to reform the curriculum. Essentially, Dr. Deacon suggests that the first-year writing curriculum should be malleable. This is an opposing point in regard to the majority of my other sources.

Elbow, Peter. "The Dangerous Method: Trying to Write It Right the First Time." ​ Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process​ . New York: Oxford UP, 1981. 39-46. Print. 5 Dec. 2014. Peter Elbow is an expressivist writer and Professor of English Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he also directed the Writing Program from 1996 until 2000. This source is a chapter of a book. The audience for this source is people who want to learn to write "better" and are choosing to employ Elbow's expressivist methods, including freewriting. The source argues that much of the problem writers face is simply putting ideas on the page, so he offers ways to combat that, including freewriting. His approaches are very different from the strict guidelines of progymnasmata, but he believes that when followed, they will create a more confident writer.

Elbow, Peter. ​ Writing Without Teachers​ . New York: Oxford UP, 1973. Print.

5 Dec. 2014. Peter Elbow is an expressivist rhetorician and Professor of

English Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he also directed the Writing Program from 1996 until 2000. This source is a book. The audience for this book is students who are interested in free writing and "students not enrolled in a writing class and people outside of of school," but it can be used by writing teachers, as well. This book was written to teach students the art of freewriting and to clear up misconceptions associated with it. Elbow claims that free writing is a good tool for becoming a better writer because it aims to help students generate words better and to help them judge their own work, free of the critiques of others. This source is useful because it argues for a method of teaching other than progymnasmata.

Fleming, David. "Introduction: Freshman Composition in the United States: 1885-Present." ​ From Form to Meaning: Freshman Composition and The Long Sixties 1957-1974​ . Pittsburgh, PA: U of Pittsburgh, 2011.

14-40. Print. 8 Dec. 2014. This source is written by David Fleming, who is an associate professor of English and director of the Writing Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This source is a chapter of a book. The audience for this source is anyone interested in the history of first year writing classes. This source addresses the history of composition classes from the very beginnings (at Harvard) to the present. The main claim of this source is that the implementation of first year composition follows social history. For example, in the

postwar educational boom, many school found that they needed first year courses. This source was useful in gaining background knowledge.

Gallegos, Erin P. "Mapping Student Literacies: Reimagining College Writing Instruction Within the Literacy Landscape." ​ Composition Forum 27 (2013): 1-20. ​ Education Research Complete​ . Web. 12 Dec. 2014. This article is written by Erin Penner Gallegos, who is a founding co director of the Albuquerque Community Writing Center. This source is a scholarly article. The audience for this source is anyone interested in pedagogical theory of rhetoric and composition. This source argued for "literacy

landscape,"

which

is

completely

different

from

progymnasmata or any of the other methods mentioned in this paper.

Gallegos believes that the best way to make first-year writing courses effective is not through exercises of any kind, but that writing and composition courses need to be completely reimagined for the changing demand of both students and professors because all students must pass at least one composition class at most universities. She argues that each composition class should be based on what the diverse student population needs most, which can be determined after the literacy landscape of the class is understood. This process requires communication between students and professors. This source is useful because it provides a unique point of view.

Giberson, Greg, and Moriarty, Thomas A. "Remembering the Canons’ Middle Sisters: Style, Memory, and the Return of the Progymnasmata in the

Liberal Arts Writing Major." ​ What We Are Becoming: Developments In Undergraduate Writing Majors​ . Logan, UT: Utah State UP, 2010.

177-203. Print. 14 Nov. 2014. Greg Giberson is an assistant professor writing and rhetoric at at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan; he is credited with coauthoring a proposal that established the undergraduate writing major at OU. Thomas A. Moriarty is a professor of English and Writing at San Jose State University. This source is a chapter from an e-book. The audience for this source is professors, departments, and potentially university administrators interested in creating an undergraduate writing major. It was written to argue for progymnasmata as a focus of curricula of such majors. The authors main claim that progymnasmata is an "essential," forgotten canon of rhetoric. This source specifically addresses the use of progymnasmata in undergraduate writing majors; therefore, it will be useful in discussing the (unmet) need.

Gibson, Craig A. "Better Living Through Prose Composition? Moral and Compositional

Pedagogy

in

Ancient

Greek

and

Roman

Progymnasmata." ​ Rhetorica: A Journal of the History of Rhetoric ​ 32.1 (2014): 1-30. ​ JSTOR​ . Web. 13 Nov. 2014. Craig Gibson teaches in the Department of Classics at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.

This source is from a scholarly journal, published quarterly for the International Society for the History of Rhetoric. It includes articles, book reviews and bibliographies that examine the theory and practice of

rhetoric in all periods and languages and their relationship with poetics, philosophy, religion and law. The audience for this source is members of the rhetoric community, including, but not limited to academic rhetoricians.

The

article

addresses

how

morality

plays

into

progymnasmata, which is to say that it is a vital component. As seen in the title, the article’s main theme is about moral and compositional pedagogy in ancient Greek and Roman progymnasmata. Quintilian really believed in the ideal rhetor being a “good” man, so this article addresses that in detail. Gibson explains that progymnasmata was an essential tool in forming “moral” beings because progymnasmata was the foundation for written rhetoric, which was the foundation for spoken rhetoric. Historically, spoken rhetoric provided a “moral challenge.” He argues that morality was the basis of any rhetorical education in Quintilian’s time. I plan to use this source for more background information on progymnasmata. Because it is something we have not covered extensively in class, I need to further familiarize myself with the topic before I can analyze it and delve into my question.

I will use this source for background information and a brief history.

Gibson, Craig A. ​ Libanius's Progymnasmata: Model Exercises In Greek Prose Composition and Rhetoric​ . Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2008. Print. 2 Dec. 2014. Greg Giberson is an assistant professor writing and rhetoric at at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan; he is credited with coauthoring a proposal that established the

undergraduate writing major at OU. This source is the introduction from a book. The audience of this book is anyone interested in examples of progymnasmata: students, teachers, etc. The book aims to give examples of what finished progymnasmata exercises looked like.

Giberson is a proponent of the use of progymnasmata in writing courses, so his purpose for this source is to give examples as well as historical information on the practice of progymnasmata. He gives in-depth descriptions of each of the exercises so that the reader can understand what the progymnasmata asked of the writer. This source is useful because it provides examples, which I haven't seen in any other source, though they are written by Libanius and not by a modern writer.

However, I think the historical aspect is important for the completion of this paper.

Hagaman, John. "Modern Use of the Progymnasmata in Teaching Rhetorical Invention." ​ Rhetoric Review 5.1 (1986): 22-29. ​ JSTOR​ . Web. 13 Nov. 2014. John Hagaman was the director of the Western Kentucky University Writing Project for 25 years and is now a transitional retiree.

He currently teaches a variety writing related courses, including introductory writing, at WKU. This source is an article published in a scholarly journal. The source's audience is teachers of writing and rhetoric for beginning courses. The purpose of this source is to argue for modern use of progymnasmata in teaching rhetoric and writing. The article's main claim is that progymnasmata makes a good foundation

for any writer and for a college education. This source will be useful because it explains the merits of progymnasmata and how they can be applied in modern day.

Ray, Brian. “A Progymnasmata For Our Time: Adapting Classical Exercises To Teach Translingual Style.” ​ Rhtoric Review ​ 32.2 (2013): 191-209.

Literary Reference Center. ​ Web. 27 Oct. 2014. Brian Ray is an Assistant Professor and Composition Coordinator (English) at the University of Nebraska Kearney. This source is from a peer reviewed, academic journal called ​ Rhetoric Review​ , which publishes articles centered on rhetoric and discourse. The audience for this source includes academic rhetoricians/professors of writing. This article focuses on the benefits of classical progymnasmata as it relates to ​ strengthening pedagogies of language difference. The article’s main claim is that a return to progymnasmata in secondary and postsecondary education could be useful in many ways, but specifically in that it could strengthen pedagogies of language differences. He believes that most rhetorical education today is ethnocentric and that language difference should be celebrated in the writing process. This article will be useful because it provides information about practical application of progymnasmata.

Wesley, Kimberly. "The Ill Effects of the Five Paragraph Theme." ​ The English Journal 90.1, Teaching Writing in the Twenty-First Century (2000): 57-60. ​ JSTOR​ . Web. 13 Nov. 2014. Kimberly Wesley is an English teacher at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, Florida. This source

is an article published in the peer reviewed English Journal. This source was written primarily for teachers who employ the "Five Paragraph Theme (FPT)." It addresses the problems associated with teaching students the FPT. Speicifically, she says that students forced to write within the confines of the FPT provide less analysis. Even if they are capable of doing better, the FPT is stifling to their writing efforts. The main claim in this article is that the FPT does an injustice to students.

Wesley argues that instead of the FPT, teachers should employ progymnasmata because the FPT stunts creativity. This source is useful because it provides evidence that strategies outside progymnasmata are not effective, and it argues for a shift in thinking. Progymnasmata goes in and out of fashion, but it is a useful tool in forming effective, creative, confident writers.