http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/05/hovv-yov-ovght-to-hold-your-penne/276366/
Megan Garber, the author of the article " Hovv Yov Ovght to Hold Your Penne," basically presents with readers some writing tips and advice from 1611. The author talks about how writing itself is a difficult task - from getting a pen and writing symbols and signs to actually sitting on a chair. A long time ago, the physical act of writing was a form of technology since no one knew how to hold a pen, how to position the elbow, or how to position the paper. Richard Field published a book in 1611 called A Nevv Booke, containing all sorts of hands vsvally written at this day in Christendome, as the English and French Secretary, the Roman, Italian, French, Spanish, high and low Dutch, Court and Chancerie hands: with Examples of each of them in their proper tongue and Letter. Also an Example of the true and iust proportion of the Romane Capitals. Collected by the best approued writers in these languages. The book basically says to sit in an upright position, the elbow should not be too close or too far away from the body, and softly hold your pen.
The author uses several rhetorical devices. The author's purpose is informative (exposition). The tone and diction all point that the author has light humor regarding the book. The title of the article shows light humor as it is written as if it were in 1600s. The main point of the article is to talk about a book published in 1611 which not only has a funny and long name, but it's content is also very funny. The article itself is structures as a how-to organization; it shows how the book describes how to perform the act of writing correctly. The author includes quotations from the book and then plays with the different language with the last sentence to create a sense of humor: "Hold your pen 'very gently in the hand without gripping," because to fail to do this would mean that "command of hand' gets 'vtterly lost.'"
why this article? :-)
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