Blog VII : Activity 1a

The book Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students is made up of fifteen chapters that are broken down into 4 different parts in the book. Each of the four parts have a different theme and specific aspect of rhetoric that they emphasize and so the chapters that make up those different sections contain relevant information and excersices pertaining to the given subject. The book is set up so that it begins with "Part One: Invention," the seven chapters that compile that first section cover topics that explain to the student various things. The topics vary from kairos, to what questions to ask when thinking about what to write, to ethos and proofs. Next there is "Part Two: Arrangement" and the chapters under this section deal with how to compose and arrange a written work and also how to enhance it. The next part is aptly named "Part Three: Style, Memory, and Delivery." Each of these subjects has a chapter devoted to it under this part of the book. The fourth part is "Part Four: Rethorical Exercises" and this is the part that includes most of the activities for the students. They all tie in to previously explained concepts and are meant to reinforce and apply the theories that the student should have learned when reading the book. At the end of previous chapters in the books there is a small amount of exercises that can be completed by the student so as to be able to apply the notions they just read about. This book serves those people or students who want to improve their writing and want to seek ways in which to make it more appealing, more persuasive, or possibly evolve in their writing. There are specific concepts that are extensively probed, such as kairos and the use of logic throughout the writing process.

In the first chapter, rhetorics of ancient times are explained and delved into. There is also a comparison between rhetoric in ancient times and how it is thought of in the present day and age. The rest of the book follows a logical process. It begins with addressing which issues are important when writing a text and what kind of questions to ask so that the written text has a good quality. It follows through with how to arrange your thoughts and in which way to shape the written text so that is has the desired impact. Part three is related as well, with information on the details of written texts such as delivery methods and memory systems. All the previously given information and concepts can be applied when completing the rhetorical exercises. Each chapter and the parts that they fall under function seamlessly to provide the writer of a text clear ideas on how he or she can think of different topics. The arrangement of the four parts of the book allow the writer to follow a sensible path the the final written text. The book goes through the process of how one can write, arrange and revise, and finally deliver an excelling, well argued, logical and appealing work of text.