Dawny apoftegmat. Między historią, retoryką a filozofią / The Old Apothegm: between History, Rhetoric and Philosophy .
Journal Title: Zagadnienia Rodzajów Literackich - Year 2017, Vol 60, Issue 2
Abstract
This article is devoted to the apothegm understood as a literary genre. The aim of the article is to present the etymology of the very word as well as gather and organize the distinctive features of the genre by referring to the Greek, Roman and early modern tradition in order to highlight those aspects that indicate its evolution. What is more, the article also points out the differences between the apothegm and other cognate genres, such as proverbs, maxims, gnomes, dicta, anecdotes and aphorisms. The apothegm is presented as an exceptional genre since, by emphasizing the conciseness and wit of “speech activities”, it enhances sensitivity to current circumstances. Aptly, the apothegm strengthens a singular, wittily articulated and highly individual verbal reaction to a situation that occurred at an exceptional moment. The article especially points to the philosophical aspect of the apothegm, that is, its anthropological dimension. The apothegm is the form of the word, capable of expressing all intricacies of human nature, becoming an equivalent to history or biography. Thus approaching apothegm, that is, as a literary genre, allows it to be considered as an adequate reflection of one’s personality, combining the constant with the singular and the changeable in human nature. Therefore, the genre borders on rhetoric, history, biography and philosophy.
Authors and Affiliations
Justyna Dąbkowska-Kujko
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP263990
- DOI 10.26485/ZRL/2017/60.2/3
- Views 117
- Downloads 0
Pisarz (i czytelnik) w laboratorium, czyli od twórczego pisania do twórczego programowania — przypadek Twine / Writer (and Reader) in a Laboratory, or from Creative Writing to Creative Programming — Case Study of Twine
This paper proposes a reflection on how to introduce some aspects of programming into creative writing study programs. Educational implementation of Twine is an analyzed case study. The problem is discussed in the contex...
Grand-Guignol ― paryski teatr grozy
---
Praktyki filologiczne Stefana Szymutki – rekonesans
The article is split into two parts. In the first one, author postulates interpreting Stefan Szymutko’s oeuvre within a broad context of „philological practices” and tries to describe the big array of modern returns to p...
Obraz jako argument w humanistyce / Image as Argument in the Humanities
Popular belief about contemporary visual culture says that it is a space of either disinformation or communication chaos. Many humanities scholars are very critical about so called pictorial turn in culture, although the...
Saga rodzinna — próba uporządkowania i konceptualizacji gatunku / Family Saga — an Attempt to Organize and Conceptualize the Genre
This article presents a review of family sagas theory (family novels) as a genre. A family saga derives from Medieval Saga, but in contemporary meaning it is an extensive epic story about the history of the family. The p...