From Aristotle to Edward Abbey: Musicality in classical rhetoric and the composition classroom

Though much research has been done concerning the connections between rhetoric and music, the contemporary field of rhetoric and composition often overlooks the importance and relevance of music to the discipline, particularly when it comes to applications in the classroom. Though instructors of composition may often ask their students to consider how writing sounds, they often neglect emphasizing the musical qualities that can enhance writing style furthering the persuasive effects of composition. In this thesis, I will first seek to reestablish the connection between music and rhetoric by demonstrating the historical influence of music on rhetoric. I will look at how thinkers and rhetoricians like the Sophists, Plato, Aristotle, Isocrates, and Cicero integrated musical concepts into their philosophies and rhetoric. After providing this historical background, I will then demonstrate the importance of musicality and basic musical concepts in rhetorical analysis of prose by examining passages of Edward Abbey\u27s Desert Solitaire. I will also consider the importance of music in general on Abbey as a writer. Finally, I will suggest how rhetorical analysis of this nature can be taught in the composition classroom; I will outline a multi-lesson unit designed to help students develop a more musically-minded writing style