This week’s reading was my first exposure to the Belletristic Movement. Its core focus on literature immediately intrigued me. Also, the shift in rhetoric’s definition from argument and persuasion to reception and appreciation is also an interesting aspect of this movement. In contrast to rhetoric’s history of a heavy emphasis on persuasion, the Belletristic Movement focuses on literary style and the beauty of language. This appreciation of aesthetics is a fresh way to approach rhetoric. Although it shares similarities with Gorgias’ views, the Belletristic Movement is distinctly different, revolving around the “taste” of rhetoric. The term taste is helpful in describing the Belletristic Movement because it draws an analogy between the tongue’s taste of fine cuisine and the mind’s “taste” of beauty. Lord Kames, a leading philosopher of the movement, helped develop this “taste” theory of aesthetics, establishing an aspect of personal refinement and elitism. “Kames envisioned a refined society of individuals capable of appreciating the finer artistic achievements in literature and art” (Herrick 177). A counterpart of Kames, Hugh Blair, contended that the capacity for a good taste could be “improved through experience and education” (178). Thus, Blair suggested that the appreciation of rhetorical beauty is not limited to an select group of elites; rather, he believed that anyone could be trained to taste with a sophisticated palate.
What strikes me most about the Belletristic Movement is its endearment with beauty. This savoring of aesthetics resounds true in my mind, yet it seems to be becoming less prevalent in our current academia. Our culture is obsessed with results. We are driven by grades and assignments, pushed to produce and produce and produce. Subtly, we begin to appreciate our work and its loveliness less. Aristotle becomes a task and poetry an obligation. We are excellent at picking flowers; we collect them by the bushel. Schools pride themselves in the bulk of their harvest. Yet, while we strive to snatch more and more, the lilies and the roses lie discarded in the wheelbarrow, their scent never cherished and their beauty never gazed upon.
HR: Google (capitalization question), Textbook
February 21, 2017 at 3:47 pm
Carter,
As we approach midterm, your observations about the absence of time to devote to appreciating the beauty of language, art, literature, or any of the “products” of our imagination seem most apt. A mentor of mine, Jim Corder, wrote an essay titled “What I Learned in School” in which, among other things, he laments the same experience of being a student.
Regards,
COL McDonald