Synopsis
Mcguffey's Rhetorical Guide, Or, Fifth Reader Of The Eclectic Series: Containing Elegant Extracts In Prose And Poetry, With Copious Rules And Rhetorical Exercises by William Holmes McGuffey presents a 19th-century American school manual on elocution and rhetorical reading. The volume combines a systematic treatment of articulation, inflection, accent, emphasis, and voice cultivation with a large, curated collection of prose and verse selections. Part I outlines principles of elocution—articulation, intonation, pauses, breathing, gesture, and teacher guidance. Part II offers reading lessons drawn from Shakespeare, Milton, Burns, Scott, Dickens, and other authors, each annotated with rhetorical notation and prompts to develop expressive delivery. The text includes dramatic excerpts (such as The Knave Unmasked) and a broad array of moral, historical, political, religious, and patriotic pieces intended to shape virtue, memory, and civic-mindedness in students. It reflects mid-19th-century pedagogy that links reading aloud with character formation, patriotism, and the mastery of language.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.