PREFACE. THE Specimens of Narration is designed to accompany Dr. Baldwin's Specimens of Prose Description, and to precede Mr. Lamont's Specimens of Exposition and Mr. Baker's Specimens of Argumentation in the study of method in various forms of written composition. The volume has been compiled with two objects in view: (1) to aid the study of a large and important part of English literature; and (2), more especially, to help the student in the writing of narratives, to him perhaps the most interesting, if not in itself the most valuable part of composition work. The book consists of a number of fairly complete selections from representative modern authors, so arranged, as will be seen from Part V. of the Introduction, as to present a connected view of narration from the simplest forms to the more complex and technical aspects of the subject. The introduction contains a brief statement of the theory of narration and suggestions to the teacher and student as to certain good ways of looking at the question. The volume may be used independently; but a bibliography and numerous references are added, which will enable a student to read the book in connection with any one of several text-books on rhetoric. It is to be hoped that the student will make 154932 use of these to their fullest extent, that he may see the subject from as many points of view as possible. My indebtedness to the writers of other treatises on narration and to publishers who have allowed the use of their texts is specially indicated in the body of the book. To Dr. C. S. Baldwin of Yale College, and to Dr. F. N. Robinson of Harvard College, my thanks are due for many excellent suggestions and for the reading of proofs; and to Professor Brander Matthews of Columbia College for many valuable criticisms and references. Especially I am under obligation to the constant counsel of Professor G. R. Carpenter of Columbia College for much that is good in the arrangement of the book, and for the correction of details in the manuscript and the proof. COLUMBIA COLLEGE, June 25, 1895. W. T. B. |