A favorite axiom of my high school and college English instuctors was that a writer's work is an exposition of the writer himself, as well as of the subject matter. This relation of the artist to his work was always expounded in reference to creative writing (primary literature). Non-fictional exposition, essays, critical writing (genres regarded as secondary literature) on the other hand, were studied in terms of grammatical and compositional technicalities and the subject matter presented. The possibility of aesthetic critical writing was ignored; when I read an occasional essay that I recognized as being more than a simple display of facts and theories, its source of power was entirely unknown to me. The relation of the writer to secondary literature was never explained. This puzzling discrepency between primary and secondary literature was resolved for me by Dr. Rockwood's version of Advanced Composition (EH 301).
From the start, Dr. Rockwood makes his position clear. He denounces dullness as a characteristic of poor writing and introduces the term numinosity, which is the key to the study of exposition in this course. The quality of any composition, according to Dr. Rockwood, is determined by the extent to which it is able to stir the interest of its reader—that is, by its numinosity. The exclusive use of abstract terminology, especially, cannot possibly interest or enlighten a reader to the extent that use of examples and imagery can. From this point, the student is launched headlong into a ten-week study of C. G. Jung and symbolism—or, more specifically, of the relationship between archetypal imagery and the human psyche. The study of basic, orthodox techniques of writing is discarded and the mental functions and constellations of man, of both writer and reader, are explored.
This rejection of orthodox techniques is, of course, reflected in Dr. Rockwood's grading system. For each of the weekly papers required, a double grade is given: one for technical aspects and a more important grade for content. The quality of content is determined by its numinosity, and the development of this quality is the goal of the course.
During th ten-week period, selections are read that deal with the psychological makeup of man and the expression of his psychic workings. The subject of psychology and the artist is frequently discussed, as are qualities common to all good writing. The student learns through the examination of such exemplary writers as Kafka and others. The development of technical skill, however, is achieved through individual trial and error, assisted by corrections and commentary from the instructor, in the required papers.
As the title, Advanced Composition, implies, the course is more than a simple exercise in writing. The student comes to a clearer understanding of the human mind and the role that writing plays in the communication of ideas between individuals. The development of the students' expository and analytical skills is a predictable and positive result of this approach.
© Copyright 2002 by Robert J. R. Rockwood. All rights reserved.