The Elements of Eloquence

The Elements of Eloquence by Mark ForsythRhetoric is the art of persuasion. While this book contains material that is educational, it is presented in an entertaining style that is witty and entertaining.This book is divided into the following 39 chapters that each describe and give examples of figures of rhetoric.1 Alliteration: the rhetorical device of repeating the sound of the first consonant in a series of multiple words.2 Polyptoton: the use of one word as different parts of speech or in different grammatical forms.3 Antithesis: the use of two opposites for contrasting effect.4 Merism: where a single thing is referred to by an enumeration of several of its parts, or a list of several synonyms for the same thing.5 Blazon: "extended merism, the dismemberment of the loved one".6 Synaesthesia: a device where one sense is described in terms of another.7 Aposiopesis: a figure of speech wherein a sentence is deliberately broken off and left unfinished, the ending to be supplied by the imagination, giving an impression of unwillingness or inability to continue.8 Hyperbaton: a figure of speech which describes an alteration of the logical order of the words in a sentence.9 Anadiplosis: repetition of the last word of a preceding clause.10 Periodic Sentences: are not complete grammatically before the final clause or phrase.11 Hypotaxis and Parataxis: hypotaxis is a complex style of writing involving the use of a large number of subordinate clauses, while parataxis is the style of writing with short simple sentences.12 Diacope: the close repetition of a word or phrase, separated by a word or words.13 Rhetorical Questions: a device where a question is stated to make a point, without requiring any answer because it is intended to be obvious.14 Hendiadys: a device used for emphasis, where an adjective-noun form is swapped for noun-and-noun.15 Epistrophe: a device using the repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive phrases, clauses or sentences for emphasis.16 Tricolon: a sentence is composed of three equal parts. Forsyth points to the national motto of France (Liberté, égalité, fraternité) as one of his many examples of the impact of this device.17 Epizeuxis: the repetition of a word or phrase in immediate succession, for emphasis.18 Syllepsis: a single word is used with two other parts of a sentence but must be understood differently in relation to each.19 Isocolon: Forsyth's definition seems to state that a sentence is composed by two parts equivalent in structure, length and rhythm. Other sources suggest two or more parts, and relate tricolon which is mentioned in the earlier chapter.20 Enallage: a "deliberate grammatical mistake".21 Versification: the effect of a few different verse forms used, including examples of iambic pentameter.22 Zeugma: a series of clauses which use the same verb.23 Paradox: a statement that is logically false or impossible for emphasis or contrast.24 Chiasmus: a symmetrical repetition of structure or wording.25 Assonance: the repetition of a vowel sound.26 The Fourteenth Rule: the rhetorical device of providing an unnecessarily specific number for something for emphasis.27 Catachresis: a grammatically wrong use of words as a means of creative expression.28 Litotes: emphasizes a point by denying the opposite.29 Metonymy and Synecdoche: where something connected to the thing described, or a part of it, is used in place of the thing itself.30 Transferred Epithets: where an adjective is applied to the wrong noun, for effect.31 Pleonasm: the use of superfluous and unnecessary words in a sentence for emphasis.32 Epanalepsis: repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning and end of a sentence or clause to emphasize circularity.33 Personification: a description which imputes human actions or characteristics to an inanimate or non-human thing.34 Hyperbole: the rhetorical device of exaggeration.35 Adynaton: a hyperbole so extreme as to be a complete impossibility.36 Prolepsis: the use of a pronoun at the start of a sentence, which reverses the normal order.37 Congeries: a bewildering list of adjectives or nouns.38 Scesis Onomaton: sentences without a main verb.39 Anaphora: starting each sentence with the same word.

This book was not what I expected. I thought it was going to be some grammar tips and stuff like that, but it was a book about rhetoric, how to use it, and how we use it all the time and have no idea. I love the author's voice. It's casual and sarcastic. He used contemporary examples we know well and well-known classics. I've never seen rhetoric explained so well in plain English before.

Usually, a coffee-table book is a light picture book -- something full of pleasant things to look at for a brief few moments of entertainment. Consider "Elements of Eloquence" a coffee-table book for the brain. This is a brilliant piece of work. Author Mark Forsyth captures dozens of means by which a writer (or speaker) can turn a more memorable phrase, and, breaking them into short five-to-ten-page bursts, manages to make a long English writing lesson into a delightful bit of easy reading. His examples are well-chosen and illustrative, the rules are obvious in the same way as the rules of nature or architecture (all around us, but hard to grasp until you know what you're looking for), and almost every chapter delivers a true laugh-out-loud moment. Go ahead and leave it on the coffee table -- most people will be discouraged by the title alone -- but those who read it will be extremely well-rewarded.

I have half a bookcase full of books on writing. This is the first one I've read that offered, page after page, knowledge I had never read before.Since the title contains the word "eloquence," one would expect it to be written eloquently. It most definitely is. And, often, amusing.The sort of book you'll want to re-read about once a year.

I actually felt sad when I finished this book. It was so charming, informative and amusing, I hated for it to end. Perhaps the most frustrating thing is that most of the items work much better with poetry than general prose, however they are explained so well that there is no reason that you can't come out of the book with the ability to deliberately insert certain forms of rhetoric into your writing. He explains how they work, gives examples from history (and modern day), and suggests what sort of impact the word form has on the reader. If you love understanding better how language works, I recommend this book. If you simply wish to be entertained by a deft and witty writer, this book has that going for it as well.

What a great little book: combines a working manual on rhetoric (which I never got exposed to even with a degree in classical languages) with ample references to Shakespeare and pop cultural icons. A fun read from start to finish! The lunatic's idyll to his cat (in the anaphora chapter) alone is worth the price.

I bought this as a gift for a friend who is working on her Ph.D. in English. She loved the book and also knew all the terms in the table of contents. When I viewed them when I first purchased the book, many of them looked like Greek to me

If you are excited by dictionaries, get giddy about language, & are constantly searching for the perfectly crafted sentence, this book is for you. Forsyth brings in examples from the far reaches of classical texts to modern pop songs & pulp literature. His own style is easy to read & understand. Whether you are reading to be a better writer, a better reader, or just because grammar is your groove, baby, I strongly recommend this book.

What I hate about academics is that they have to have a name, preferably with a Latin or Greek root, for everything. This book lists the names of all the writing trick one might employ, who cares what Epanalepsis is? There is no way I’ll remember all those names. The long list of types of rhetorical questions? Forget it.But what we have here Is an engineering textbook for the structure of good writing. No, for the structure of great writing. And it’s brilliantly written. The explanation of a Blazon: “When healthy people fall in love they buy a bunch of flowers or and engagement ring and go and Do Something About It”. When poets fall in love, they make a list of their loved one’s body parts and attach similes to them.It’s laugh out loud funny.I bought this to improve my writing, and, despite only being half-way through, it’s done that. But it’s also one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a very long time.The tear-down of the techniques used by Shakespeare, the bible and The Beatles, unmasks the craftsmanship of the writing.It’s the first time I’ve felt the need to use highlighting on the Kindle. It really is a book for work, rest and play.

This book is ever so engaging; if you read the first page, you will read the second. If you read the second, you will read the third. If you read the third, you will eventually get to the end.Unconvinced you might be that a book on rhetorical devices would be of any use to modern writers. Rhetorical elements can be witty; rhetorical elements can be maddening; rhetorical elements are those fellows in Barbour rain jackets down the pub that have been sitting in front of that coal fire since 1962 and smell strongly of damp and dog. This is not a bulky reference book but a light-hearted look at how you could make your prose absolutely unreadable if you so desired, although I’m quite sure no writer would be that reckless (with the possible exception of James Joyce).Or would they? Probably not. In any case, thank you for this wonderful book, Mark Forsyth. Thank you.

Hi Mark,This book is fantastic. The reason why it's so enjoyable is because I'm now able to express myself better through the techniques which you've stated in the book. It's simple and easy to digest; in my experience it's impossible to put down once you start reading it.My company "Social Attraction" is based in London. If you have availability then please contact me as I'd love to interview you for my podcast titled "The Gary Gunn Show".Thanks,Gary

This is the third book I have read by Mark Forsyth - the other two being The Horologicon and the Etymologicon. The Elements of Eloquence is written in the Forstyth's usual engaging and somewhat humorous style and is slightly reminiscent of Billy Bryson's Mother Tongue. The book is divided up into chapters that each deal with a specific literary device and gives the basic premise of the device and some examples of its usage in classic and, occasionally, contemporary works.A lot of the topics in this book are similar to the lessons you would have learned in GCSE English and then forgot about but some of the others are a little more fringe. Forsyth explores what could be a dull subject with enthusiasm and wit and I found that this makes it very engaging. It's a bit of a heavy book to read through in one go but as a dip-in, dip-out read it's extremely enjoyable.If you liked other books by Mark Forsyth or Bill Bryson's more factual books you will probably like this.

The ancient practice of creating beautiful language has never been more entertainingly written. Let’s not consider it a lost art but an art that, in these modern times of tweets and texts, has never been more necessary. All hail Rhetoric!

The elements of eloquence is an interesting read and provides a valuable insight into the English language.Mark Forsyth makes this book a joy to read and adds a great deal of humour that make this book a real page turner.

Ironically, words cannot do justice to how much of a pleasure it is to read this book. It's funny, it's clever, it's interesting, and it's peppered with literary examples that not only explain the point but open up an entirely new understanding of the sample texts and their authors. Shakespeare may not have been a genius, but Mark Forsyth surely is!

Because he knows impossible things about words, but there is a mistake in the book, it is not potato, potato, but potato, potata, tomato, tomata and so on. So he did in fact get that wrong.

This jewel of a book is such a pleasure to read! At the same time interesting and instructive, accessible and academic, optimistic and observant. Essential reading for anyone who speaks and reads English. Each chapter explains a figure of rhetoric, eg alliteration. Mark Forsyth demonstrates his joy of the language by liberally littering with examples!

An excellent book,though not quite what I was expecting. A book ,I found, hard to put down , and with a generous helping of humor.

A lovely book exploring different rhetoric devices and tools that turn a perfect phrase. Fascinating and the only downside is that I might end up dropping overwrought rhetorical flourishes into my day-to-day speech for the sheer joy of it.

I don't think I have ever enjoyed a 'text book' quite so much. I know I've never laughed aloud in a packed carriage on my morning commute while reading one. A real pleasure to read and so full of surprises as it reveals the tricks and tropes of the trade of written language. Master this and oh, what larks with language lie, all the while appearing passive on the page. (Plenty of stuff to show off with, as noted above)Now I understand why the phrase 'a flying ••••' has found its place in the English language.

I purchased this as a gift for my sister after a recommendation from a friend. My sister really enjoyed it and said she finished it within a few days.

So good it impressed my intellectual French friend from far off.I was so chuffed, I gave it to him and got my self another.

Excellently written, easy to understand and surprisingly funny. A wealth of information that will improve your writing (with application).