English 632: Topics in Rhetoric

Burkean Theory and Criticism

Jeff Bineham
Office: MS 129
Phone: 255-2217

In this seminar we will read and discuss several of Kenneth Burke's major works in order to decipher some of his contributions to rhetorical theory and criticism. The seminar involves three primary activities: reading, discussion, application. Each class session will involve discussion and application of a specific portion of Burke's work (typically around 120 pages per week). Each week seminar participants will provide an example to illustrate the assigned reading. Every two or three weeks participants will present their examples in the form of a semi-formal oral critique or report. Two of those presentations must be written into 10-15 page papers. The grade in the class is based primarily upon the papers and secondarily upon participation in the weekly meetings.

Expectations:

Weekly Meetings: This is a seminar. To me that means the responsibility for discussion is shared equally among all participants. All of us should attend class prepared to ask questions, to challenge Burke and one another, to dissect the text, to apply the text, to explore interesting ideas together. I won't lecture so you should expect to contribute actively each week. I also will establish an electronic bulletin board so that you can post comments between class meetings.

Papers: Your papers should be "Burkean" critiques of some text(s) of literature or popular culture. I assume familiarity with the standards of scholarly writing at the graduate level. If you would like to read the requirements I give to my undergraduate students they are available at the web page specified below under " web links".

Texts:

Burke, Kenneth. Counter-Statement. 1931. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1968.
---. Permanence and Change. 1935. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984.
---. The Philosophy of Literary Form. 1941. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973.
---. A Grammar of Motives. 1945. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1969.
---. Language as Symbolic Action. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966.

Web Links:

Bineham's Requirements for Papers
The Kenneth Burke Society
Links to Kenneth Burke Web Sites

Schedule:

January
18 -- Introductions
25 -- Counter-Statement, "Three Adepts of 'Pure' Literature" - "Program" (116 pages)

February
1 -- C-S, "Lexicon" - "Addendum" (102 pages); Presentations
8 -- Permanence and Change, Introduction, Prologue, Part I (105 pages)
15 -- P&C, Part II (95 pages)
22 -- P&C, Part III (127 pages); Presentations
29 -- Philosophy of Literary Form, Forwards - Title Essay (157 pages)

March
7 -- PLF, "Semantic and Poetic Meaning" - "War, Response, and Contradiction" (119 pages)
14 -- Spring Break
21 -- PLF, "Freud and the Analysis of Poetry" - "Literature as Equipment for Living" (47 pages); Papers Due
28 -- A Grammar of Motives, "Introduction" - Part I (130 pages)

April
4 -- GOM, Part II: "Scene" - "Agent" (100 pages)
11 -- GOM, Part II: "Act" - "Agency/Purpose" (93 pages); Presentations
18 -- GOM, Part III - "Four Master Tropes" (132 pages)
25 -- Language as Symbolic Action, Part I (95 pages)

May
2 -- LSA, Part III: Chapters One, Four, Seven (94 pages); Presentations
9 -- Papers Due