Exploring the roots of the Euphuism style and its shaping ideas
Discover how this work traces the origins of euphuistic writing, linking Lyly’s prose to earlier and contemporary models. It offers a clear, structured look at how sound, form, and rhetorical devices came together in a Renaissance context.
This scholarly study sketches a path from national sound patterns to classical rhetoric, then to practical writing. It shows how euphuistic elements were assembled in early English prose and how contemporary authors adapted them for modern readers. The volume outlines chapters on sound figures, rhetorical theory, and hands-on practice, illustrating the long road from medieval to early modern prose styles.
- Defines what euphuism is and how its features developed from Lyly and other authors
- Explains how sound devices like alliteration and assonance appear in early English prose
- Analyzes the influence of classical rhetoric and its adaptation for Renaissance writing
- Offers context about writers who shaped or parodied the style and its reception
Ideal for readers of Renaissance literature, linguistic history, and literary criticism who want a grounded overview of euphuism’s prehistory and development.