State reasons to establish facts.
The conclusion should be warranted by the premises.
Illustrations may be used effectively, but not conclusively.
Analogy should be used for illustration, not as a basis for conclusions.
Arguments should usually be arranged in the order of their strength, the strongest last.
POETRY AND POETICS
Poetry is usually classified as epic, lyric, dramatic, and didactic.
Epic Poetry is that which deals with the life and adventures of some real or mythic personage, called a hero.
1. The great epic is considered the highest effort of poetic talent, on account of the loftiness of its conceptions, the dignity of its character, and the difficulty of its execution. Few [740] epic poems have gained general admiration. Those most highly prized are Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey; Virgil’s Æneid; Milton’s Paradise Lost; and Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered.
2. The Metrical Romance differs from the great epic in its theme, which is less serious; its metre, which is lighter; and its control of events, which is mainly human; the love element is more prominent in this form of the epic. Examples: Scott’s Marmion and The Lady of the Lake.