Progymnasmata: Encomium & Invective

Classical Writing Exercises in Preparation for Rhetoric

This post is part of a series on the “progymnasmata” which is an ancient approach to teaching students the art of written composition. The word itself essentially means “before exercises” because these are the necessary skills one should acquire before entering into the discipline of Rhetoric (persuasion in writing and speech). You can go HERE to access the growing list of resources for learning and teaching the various elements of the progymnasmata. Enjoy!

An Encomium (sometimes called Panegyric) is an expression of praise for a person, place, thing, or idea. An Invective (sometimes called Vituperation) is an expression of blame against a person, place, thing, or idea. The means by which an Encomium or Invective may be written is essentially the same, covering the same kinds of ground, only working in the other direction. Here are some outlines to help construct each particular kind of Encomium or Invective.

For or Against a Person

1. Introduce the person to be praised or blamed. Acquaint your readers/listeners with the appropriate context to understand who you are talking about and why they ought to be interested.

2. Describe the origin of the person:

   1. What people, group, or country does this person come from and how does this shape who they are?

   2. Who are this person’s ancestors or their parents and how has that impacted their character or social situation?

3. Describe other factors that explain the formation of the person’s character and personality:

   1. Religion

   2. Education (both formal and informal)

   3. Specialized training in an art or skill.

   4. Involvement with any particular institution or organization (church, government, military, etc.)

   5. Pastimes

4. Describe the person’s virtues or vices: 

   1. What is their moral character like (give examples)?

   2. What are their accomplishments or failures (personally or professionally)?

   3. What is their reputation among other people?

5. Make a favorable/unfavorable comparison or contrast with another person.

   1. This individual was an effective leader like Winston Churchill or this person was a wicked ruler like Jezebel.

6. Conclude with an exhortation to emulate (or avoid emulation) of the person.

For or Against a Place

1. Introduce the place to be praised or blamed. What should your readers/listeners know about this place to understand where you are talking about and why it matters?

2. Describe the origin of the place:

   1. How did the city, nation, landmark, etc., come to be? 

   2. Who are the people most closely associated with this place? 

3. Describe the physical or material qualities of this place:

   1. Is it populous or barren?

   2. What is the weather like?

   3. What are the geographical features of this place?

4. Describe the virtues or vices of this place:

   1. Does this place have a glorious or odious history? In other words, have great deeds been done there or perhaps great wickedness?

   2. Are there particular people of note who come from this place?

   3. Do the geographical qualities of the place offer some benefit to people who live there or go there or not (e.g. great natural defenses from enemies, plenty of farmable ground and water, etc.)?

5. Make a favorable/unfavorable comparison or contrast with another place:

   1. This place offers all the same beauty of Hawaii or this place has all of the farmable ground of the Saharan desert. 

6. Conclude with an exhortation to value or hold in disdain the given place under consideration.

For or Against a Thing

1. Introduce the thing to be praised or blamed. Make no assumption that your audience is familiar with this item. Familiarize them with the nature of the thing in question.

2. Describe the origin of this thing.

   1. Is it natural or man made?

   2. If it is made, who made it and for what purpose?

   3. Is the thing to be used for some other purpose or to be enjoyed as a thing itself (as with a work of art)?

   4. Does this thing belong to a particular person or region of the world?

3. Describe the physical characteristics of the thing:

   1. What is it made of?

   2. Is it large or small?

   3. Is it beautiful or ugly?

   4. How does its physical characteristics aid or take away from its usefulness or desirability?

4. Describe the virtues or vices of the thing:

   1. Can it be used to the benefit or harm of individuals or whole nations?

   2. Does it increase or decrease in value over time?

   3. Does it make one more or less able to perform a task?

   4. Does possession of this thing make one more or less desirable/attractive?

5. Make a favorable or unfavorable comparison or contrast with another thing.

   1. This thing is a useful tool which, like a spoon, helps us to more gracefully accomplish a task or this thing is like cancer, it has no value but, rather, brings only destruction.

6. Conclude with an exhortation to value or disdain, acquire or discard, use or abandon the use of, the thing in question.

For or Against an Idea

1. Introduce the idea to be praised or blamed. Define your terms and make clear what you are speaking about so your audience understands the issue in its context.

2. Describe the origin of the idea.

   1. Who first expressed this idea?

   2. When and where in history did this idea come into expression?

   3. Is this idea the product of some particular line of thinking or school of thought (i.e. is it Platonic, Aristotelian, Christian, Islamic, Freudian, Marxist, etc.)?

3. What are the philosophical characteristics of this idea?

   1. Does the idea make a claim about what ought or ought not to be done? (Moral)

   2. Does the idea make a claim about the nature of reality? (Ontology)

   3. Does the idea make a claim about what is or isn’t true or what can or cannot be known? (Epistemology)

   4. Does the idea make a claim about the purpose of something? (Teleology)

4. What are the virtues of vices of this idea?

   1. If this idea is affirmed or rejected what are the benefits or consequences (considering both personal and societal levels)?

5. Make a favorable or unfavorable comparison or contrast with another idea.

   1. As Plato’s idea of the Forms helped us to apprehend reality, so this idea gives us greater clarity or as the eugenics movement failed to create the master race but brought only death so this idea, despites its promises, will wreak similar havoc upon our nation.

6. Conclude with an exhortation to adopt or reject this idea as true and live consistently with its implications.

Examples of completed Encomia and Invectives

Encomium: Beowulf

Encomium: Roger Lancelyn Green

More Coming Soon