Mark Forsyth

The Elements of Eloquence

1. IDEA 1

   Memorable lines follow patterns

   Forsyth argues that the most memorable phrases in English, from Shakespeare to pop songs, often use figures of rhetoric. These are techniques for arranging words that can be learned. Seeing the pattern makes the trick easier to copy.

2. IDEA 2

   Rhetoric was once taught

   Forsyth explains that schoolboys in Shakespeare's time studied figures of rhetoric. Shakespeare, he argues, learned his craft partly this way. In his view, such training gave writers of that age a rich set of tools they could use at will.

3. IDEA 3

   Sounds repeat for effect

   Forsyth describes alliteration, repeating the same opening sound in nearby words. It makes phrases catchy. A tongue-twisting line often sticks in the mind because the repeated sound gives it rhythm. Forsyth shows it appears in songs, slogans and poetry.

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