Stages of Progymnasmata

The following list describes the various stages in the Progymnasmata:

Fable Stage

In this initial Fable stage students look at a single story or idea and begin learning how to use words to engage the imagination of the audience. They master the structures of thought or ideas that go into a narrative and learn to create recognition by using figures of description. Students learn to restructure facts and tell the same story or idea. They also discover that words are symbols representing ideas and as writers they can communicate the same idea using a variety of words and sentence structures.

Key Benefits:

• Ease of use for student and teacher
• Reinforcement and repetition of grammar facts
• Builds confidence in young writers

Capabilities:

• Skills of narrative invention
• Facility with language
• Flexibility in perspective

Narrative Stage

In the Narrative stage students continue to build invention skills as well as the ability to engage the imagination of an audience. They master the structures of thought that originate narratives and learn to create recognition by using figures of description. They develop the ability to communicate the same idea using a variety of words, sentence structures, and various perspectives.

Key Benefits:

• Ease of use for student and teacher
• Reinforcement and repetition of Fable Skills
• Builds confidence in young writers

Capabilities:

• Skills of narrative invention
• Facility with language
• Flexibility in perspective

Chreia/Maxim

Students gain the ability to create a story through the use of the narrative categories and variation through paraphrase.   Students learn to demonstrate the truth of the Common Place  through what Aphthonius calls eight heads of development and they deal more explicitly and thoroughly with what in modern composition theory are referred to as “Support points.” The ability to invent four specific types of narrative through these “heads of development” and to paraphrase in two specific ways are the foundational skills to be learned in these stages of exercises.

Key Benefits:

• Examples provided for all exercises
• Reinforcement and repetition of previous skills
• Integrated with Fable and Narrative stages

Capabilities:

• Invention of multiple categories of narrative
• Craft an introductory paragraph
• Flexibility in creating Support

Refutation/Confirmation Stage

These two sets of exercises, Refutation and Confirmation, would correspond to an argumentative essay in modern composition theory. The students are learning how to structure their thought and, thus, their communication process when given the task of arguing for or against an idea, thought, chain of events, method or story. The categories of development or paragraphs that make up these essays are essential elements in the rhetorical process (identified as heads of purpose in later stages) that must become second nature in the mental processes of our students.

Key Benefits:

• Examples in each lesson
• Explicit instruction of skills
• Multiple contexts for skill development
• Allows for deep cognitive processing around skills

Capabilities:

• Invention of argumentation
• Craft an introductory paragraph
• Flexibility in creating Topic Sentences

Common Topic Stage

This set of exercises, Common Topic, is more difficult to categorize by modern composition theory but would likely fall under the descriptive essay. The students are learning how to amplify evil attributes. They will use all of the previous skills learned in the exercises—narrative, expository and argumentative but must now apply those skills in a more creative and, many say, more pleasing or natural way than the previous stages. The Common Topic exercises look more like an “essay.”

Key Benefits:

• Review of skills mastered in previous six stages
• Student delight in verbal riposte
• Allows for innovative expression

Capabilities:

• Arrangement of argumentative composition
• Write an argumentative introductory paragraph
• Create multiple quality debate or essay points

Encomium/Invective/Comparison Stages

These three stages continue to train the students in their ability to utilize and integrate heads of development or enthymemes and examples, that is, the general and the particular in communicating ideas as well as continuing to train them in the use of heads of purpose or modes of argument.

Key Benefits:

• Interesting topics for expository essays
• Review of skills mastered in previous seven stages
• Models for imitation

Capabilities:

• Ability to write expository essays
• Write a complex introductory paragraph
• Cohesive Arrangement of lengthy essay

Characterization Stage

This stage is primarily concerned with the skills of style although students continue to practice the skills of Invention and Arrangement. This exercise further develops the students’ skills of sequencing and is told as a soliloquy—further honing their narrative ability. This particular style is achieved through continued mastery of paraphrase and confining students to an abbreviated word count.

Key Benefits:

• Empathetic and engaging topics for exercises
• Explicit instruction for development of style
• Allows for creative, “outside the box” eloquence

Capabilities:

• Ability to write from unusual points of view
• Innovative expression
• Clear, concise, and colorful style

Description Stage

As with the previous stage Description is primarily concerned with the development of particular styles as the students bring the subject of the exercise vividly into the reader’s imagination.  In description a fast paced, free, relaxed style is developed with the inclusion of many figures (of description, speech, and thought).

Key Benefits:

• Diverse and engaging topics for exercises
• Explicit instruction for development of style
• Allows for creative, engaging eloquence

Capabilities:

• Hold a reader’s attention through a lenghthy description
• Innovative and imaginative expression
• Ability to write using a free, relaxed and fast paced style

Thesis and Law Stages

The Thesis and Law stages of the exercises serve as capstones to the five plus years our students have been learning to write through the Progymnasmata. These exercises hone reasoning skills through the introduction of counter point and resolution providing the students with a plethora of opportunities to create arguments (Invention) using the heads of purpose and to demonstrate them using the heads of development.

Key Benefits:

• Examples for all aspects of a lesson
• Thorough Scope and Sequence
• An entire semester worth of lessons

Capabilities:

• Skills of argumentation
• Prepared for the advanced skills of Rhetoric
• Ability to write “Qualifying” essays for College Entrance Exams

The descriptions listed above are taken from: classicalcomposition.com