Written Communication Apr 2006

Literary Scholars Processing Poetry and Constructing Arguments

James E. Warren The University of Texas at Austin

Abstract

Previous studies of the professional discourse of literary studies have focused solely on published scholarly articles and have produced contradictory evidence regarding the knowledge-building function of literary argument. In this study, 9 English department faculty members use a “think-aloud” procedure to read four lyric poems and compose a short text proposing a hypothetical conference talk about them for a professional conference. Data are analyzed using the commonplaces, or “special topoi,” of literary argument. Results show that (a) different topoi are used when scholars read literary texts and in constructing written arguments and (b) some special topoi are used for communal knowledge building and others are used as audience appeals that may not reflect a commitment to knowledge building. The author concludes by comparing the findings of the study to those of other researchers of literary argument andto those of researchers of scientific argument construction.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
2006-04-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088306286864
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
discourse analysis professional writing
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

  1. Banting (2023)
    Humanistic Knowledge-Making and the Rhetoric of Literary Criticism: Special Top…
    Written Communication
  2. Roozen (2010)
    Tracing Trajectories of Practice: Repurposing in One Student’s Developing Disci…
    Written Communication

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CrossRef global citation count: 10 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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