A Longinian concept and methodology for technical communication

Jeff Todd Texas A&M University

Abstract

The rhetorician Longinus advises writers to “transport”; their readers by aligning the readers’ perspective with the writer's. The methods for transport are five “fountains”;: high thought, emotional appeals, figures of speech, notable language, and arrangement. This essay develops a Longinian concept and methodology for technical communication by comparing his ideas to current scholarship and then applying them to two technical texts. It shows how and why technical writers employ stylistic elements to achieve transport.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
1998-03-01
DOI
10.1080/10572259809364623
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Cited by in this index (6)

  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Show all 6 →
  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

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