Abstract

ABSTRACT Quintilian’s notion of imitation is often acclaimed for its focus on invention and appropriateness and for highlighting attunement to individual talent. Yet these aspects tend to be somewhat neglected in the practice of imitation as shaped by the classical rhetorical tradition, which primarily focuses on imitation exercises for beginners. This essay accentuates Quintilian’s chapter on imitation, which, as stressed by Murphy, is aimed at the mature student, in order to propel these precepts into today’s teaching. Specifically, this article advances a pedagogy of student-driven imitation constituted of five dimensions and characterized by the student’s own choice of text, valuing reflexive process over mirroring, and strengthening rhetorical agency. The exposition of student-driven imitation is supplemented with questions that students might address and excerpts from a student’s work.

Journal
Advances in the History of Rhetoric
Published
2016-05-03
DOI
10.1080/15362426.2016.1186579
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Cites in this index (3)

  1. Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  2. Rhetoric Review
  3. College Composition and Communication
Also cites 3 works outside this index ↓
  1. Retorisk agency. Hvad skaber retorikken? [Rhetorical Agency: What Makes Rhetoric?/What Do…
    Rhetorica Scandinavica  
  2. Imitation and Invention in Antiquity: A Historical-Theoretical Revision
    Rhetorica: A Journal of the History of Rhetoric  
  3. A Short History of Writing Instruction: From Ancient Greece to Contemporary America
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