A Study Of Tang Yue's Figures Of Speech

As one of the most important monographs on rhetoric,the Figures of Speech,which was written by Tang Yue,a famous Chinese rhetorician,was published in 1923.Since its publication,it has exerted a wide and vital influence in academic circles.A concrete and all-round study of the works helps us know the development of the rhetoric in Chinese in the initial days of the modern rhetoric.On the basis of absorbing the fruit of scientific research of the older generation,the author of this paper analyzed the theory and system of the book,explored the value of its thought on rhetoric and pointed out some deficiencies exist in the book so as to carry forward a fine tradition of study of the earlier generations better.The text of this article consists of four parts:Part One gives a brief account of the Figure of Speech.It mainly includes a brief survey of the author,the publication of the book,causes of appearing in book form and an outline of the main contents and system of the book.Part Two is a study of the contents of the Figures of Speech,which is made up of research of the basic theory of the Figures of Speech,a systematic study of the Figures of Speech,way of expression and a study of the writing style.In this part,the author does a comparative overall and detailed analysis of a series of theories and system put forward in this book.Part Three deals mainly with the ways of the Figures of Speech.As the book,one may well say,was herald at that time,a novel way of study was used by the original author,Tang Yue.The book was influential,which makes it necessary for us to investigate its contents.Part Four makes an appraisal of the book.The Figures of Speech,like other works, has value of its own,but at the same time deficiencies also exist.So an objective appraisal of the book contributes to deriving nourishments from it thoroughly.The important points of this paper fall on the second and the third parts,which take the brief account given by some copies of rhetoric history books as guidance, combining with the author s personal understanding in study,the author makes an overall organization of the contents,system and way of study of the Figures of Speech.