Spring 2003
ENGLISH 5730 U/G
Dr. Richard Nordquist

rhetoric

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DEFINITIONS

Definition of parody

imitation [mtesan]

Parody, burlesque, travesty, and mock epic (definitions by Robert Harris)

Pastiche

Pastiche

Versioning (updated film versions of classic texts)

stylistic
imitations &
parodies

Definitions

Imitations & Parodies Online

Imitation & Parody Exercise (due March 4, 2003)

(updated 25 February 2003)

IMITATIONS & PARODIES ONLINE

Columbus a la Mode: parodies of Robert Caro, Anne Tyler, and Lee Iacocca (by Robert Wechsler)

"Every Sha la la la, Every Oh no," by Michelle Orange (parody of pretentious reviews of popular music)

"Exercise," parody of freewriting, by David Rossmann

Faux Faulkner and Imitation Hemingway Contest Winners (plus Hemingway Runners-up and Faulkner Runners-up)

"The Gettysburg Powerpoint Presentation," by Peter Norvig (parody of Powerpoint presentations, using Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" for the occasion)

Parodies of articles for "today's woman" (from Happy Woman magazine), including "Jobs for Happy Women," "Fashion Outrage," and "Your Guy's Most Secret Thoughts"

"The Trouble with Muddles," (pdf file) Chapter One of the Harry Potter parody Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody, by Michael Gerber  

Parodies of Poems (including parodies of two poems by Robert Frost and of Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night"), by Don Carlson

Poetic Parodies and Pastiches (various)

"The Trouble with Muddles," (pdf file) Chapter One of the Harry Potter parody Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody, by Michael Gerber  

Imitation & Parody Exercise for Young Rhetoricians

First, review the handout on "Imitation" that was distributed in class (background on pages 411-12; testimonies on 413-15; sample passages for imitation on 437-42; and some examples of how to imitate sentence patterns on 443-47.  Then, in a prose passage of roughly 150 to 300 words, create an imitation, pastiche, or parody of a writer whose style interests you.  (You're free to choose any prose writer as your model, from Jonathan Swift to Stephen King, and--as discussed in class--you may write on any subject you wish.  If you have any trouble finding a writer to mimic, consider playing off one of the passages in the handout (437-42) or on our own PASSAGES page.  In any case, make sure that your imitation, pastiche, or parody captures the style of your model (to imitate well, one must know the original intimately).  Finally, be sure to append a brief explanation of what exactly you were attempting with this exercise (i.e., what stylistic traits you were trying to mimic) and how well you think you succeeded. 


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         Parody of a woman's magazine


       History & Development of Prose Style: A Reader, by John F. Tinkler


      Passages for Rhetorical Analysis (AASU Rhetoric site)
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English 5730 is taught by Dr. Richard Nordquist.
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Savannah, Georgia 31419
912/921 5991
e-mail: chiasmus@netzero.com      babel00 (3536 bytes)  People09.gif (10152 bytes)

                                       

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25 February 2003