ABSTRACT
Medieval writing instruction shared characteristics with the periods that came before and after, such as an emphasis on reshaping proverbial material and narratives, and a foundation in classical Latin rhetorical theory, especially basic texts like the Rhetorica ad Herennium and Cicero’s De inventione. Medieval rhetorical training focused on producing written discourse (both poetry and prose) in general and letters and sermons specifically. Treatises that included examples written by the authors were especially valued. Students were taught how to achieve ease of expression, attention to audience, and authority in their compositions. Exercises focused on small units of discourse that emphasized the shaping of language using rhetorical strategies such as variation, transposition, expansion, and abbreviation. These exercises are effective for students at different levels even in the same classroom. The authors of the essay suggest ways that readers of this collection can employ them in their own classrooms. The essay ends with an appendix containing a late medieval syllabus for a composition course that draws on texts from the preceding centuries.
