The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase

Author(s): Mark Forsyth

Writing

FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE SUNDAY TIMESNUMBER ONE BESTSELLERTHE ETYMOLOGICON    Mark Forsyth presents the secret of writing unforgettable phrases, uncovering the techniques that have made immortal such lines as 'To be or not to be' and 'Bond. James Bond.'    In his inimitably entertaining and witty style, he takes apart famous quotations and shows how you too can write like Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde or John Lennon.    Crammed with tricks to make the most humdrum sentiments seem poetic or wise, The Elements of Eloquencereveals how writers through the ages have turned humble words into literary gold - and how you can do the same.    'An informative but highly entertaining journey through the figures of rhetoric ... Mark Forsyth wears his considerable knowledge lightly. He also writes beautifully.' David Marsh, Guardian


Why are some ways of saying things better than others? The Elements of Eloquence is a relentlessly entertaining guide to the figures of speech that are the neglected sharp end of rhetoric. Forsyth believes our overconcentration on content has blinded us to the craft of making even banal statements memorable and effective. For example, I now know that when I say, “Get off the computer and ready to go,” I am employing syllepsis, a flower of rhetoric, and am not just being an old nag. - Thomas


 



Product Information

'An informative but highly entertaining journey through the figures of rhetoric ... Mark Forsyth wears his considerable knowledge lightly. He also writes beautifully.' David Marsh, Guardian 'Sparkling ... the book offers many pleasures ... I laughed out loud' Charles Moore, Daily Telegraph

Mark Forsyth is a blogger and author who was given a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary as a christening present and has never looked back. In 2009 he started the Inky Fool blog in order to share his heaps of useless information with a verbose world. His books have made him one of the UK's best-known commentators on words. Follow Mark on Twitter @inkyfool.

General Fields

  • : 9781785781728
  • : Icon Books, Limited
  • : Icon Books, Limited
  • : 0.211
  • : December 2016
  • : 198mm X 129mm
  • : United Kingdom
  • : January 2017
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Mark Forsyth
  • : Paperback
  • : 1701
  • : English
  • : 808.042
  • : 208
  • : CBX