How to visualize the language of argumentative writing
Although discussion should conquer readers and listeners with its powerful logical power, it does not exclude specific images. A wonderful discussion must be concrete and vivid. It refuses to repeat the platitudes of others' views, and emphasizes concrete images and vivid display of ideas.
Concrete images and vivid language can not only concretize the abstract truth, but also make the article both beautiful and reasonable, give full play to the logical power of discussion and enhance the persuasiveness and appeal of the article; At the same time, replacing rational argumentation with concrete images can also make writers broaden their minds and be full of literary thoughts.
The problem of image and abstraction is actually the relationship between emptiness and reality in artistic creation and appreciation.
Take painting as an example: from a technical point of view, every work can get the evaluation standard of "truth" judgment from the layout of the picture, the density of lines, the description of the weight of pen and ink, etc. Fang Xun, a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, said in "Mountain Residence Graph Theory" that "the ancients used wonderful pens, and the virtual and the real were born together. The so-called painting method is that in fiction and fact, the virtual and the real were born together, making the pen vivid and interesting".
Composition can also be considered from the aspects of writing methods, rhetorical devices and expression skills. Relatively speaking, argument and lyricism are more rational and abstract; Memorizing people's stories and writing landscapes also includes some rhetorical devices and expression skills (metaphor, metonymy, analogy, symbol, analogy, ...), which are more emotional, vivid and vivid. In the process of writing, it is necessary to be both real and imaginary. We should also pay attention to the combination of "virtual" and "real"-too real is slightly virtual, too virtual is virtual, and virtual is real, which may produce the performance effect of "correspondence between virtual and real" and "coexistence of virtual and real".
How to visually demonstrate? Let's try to talk about the specific practice on this issue.
Generally speaking, argumentative writing should do two things: one is to clarify the concept (for example, look at the key words in the topic), and the other is to discuss the point of view. Therefore, the author intends to talk about the visual expression method of argumentative language from two aspects: defining concepts and discussing viewpoints. First, use images to interpret concepts.
The specific method is as follows:
Method 1: enumeration
For example: sense of responsibility-people's mood to do their job consciously. Here we use the methods defined below to reveal the connotation of "sense of responsibility". In this definition, "people", "consciousness", "doing one's own work", "doing well" and "mood" are all abstract. We can interpret its image by enumerating and turn it into a perceptual image.
The sense of responsibility is a model for which Zhu Gekongming devoted himself. The sense of responsibility is a public servant monument established by Kong Fansen when he ran away from home, abandoned his mother and spilled blood on the plateau; The sense of responsibility is Beethoven's symphony of destiny, challenging life and surpassing oneself. Responsibility is the fiery gold steel forged by Paul Kocha's tenacious struggle and love for life.
What is happiness? Happiness is the breeze when opening the window in early summer morning, the peace of mind when sitting alone listening to music, and the gratitude when taking over the work from my mother. Happiness is always by your side.
Here, the connotation of "happiness" is also vividly explained by enumerating methods. When the author interprets specific events in life by hand, it is easy to arouse the readers' perceptual experience and make people have rich associations, which are more vivid than defining them. Method 2: Overview method
For example, "Brave" can be interpreted in the following ways:
Courage, a spiritual hormone.
Openly blaming and self-blaming, taking the overall situation into consideration, sincerely and frankly giving up the past, daring to think and do things that undermine superstition, refusing and flattering in the face of power, being modest and prudent in the face of honor, breaking through the creation and innovation of stereotypes, and voluntarily resigning in times of crisis are all flashes of noble qualities of soldiers!
Courage is the catalyst of action.
Dare to tell the truth, defend the truth, die, be timid when confronted with a strong hand, be infatuated when confronted with setbacks, treat it like dirt when you are greedy, get the moon first when you are close to the water, be indomitable when you are overwhelmed by Mount Tai, be ashamed when you examine it, and follow the road.
If it's unfair, draw a sword to help. A pile of piles, which pile is not initiated by courage?
Another example: chic is a beautiful scenery that persists in everyone's heart. The connotation of chic is all-encompassing. "Picking chrysanthemums under the hedge" is a pure chic, "It is better to walk" is a joyful chic, and "pointing out the mountains and inspiring words" is a heroic chic. Jewelry and heavy makeup are not chic; Blind conformity, chasing fashion is not chic; Nonsense, glib, not chic; Boasting and comparing with each other is not chic at all.
Handsome is an abstract noun. The author first lists the connotation of "chic" with famous sentences in the poems of Tao Yuanming and Mao Zedong, and then summarizes those "chic" that are often misunderstood by people from the opposite side, which has a strong generality.
Method 3: Use metaphor, personification and metonymy.
For example, friendship is a useful savings in life. This savings is to give all help in a difficult situation, to give severe advice on the wrong road, to help you sincerely when you fall, and to wipe away your tears when you are in pain.
If the concept of "friendship" is defined abstractly, it is difficult for readers to have a buzz. The author compares "friendship" with "savings", then opens his mind and reveals the connotation of "friendship" with parallelism.
Another example: morality is a stone, knocking out the fire of hope; Morality is fire, which lights the lamp of hope; Morality is a lamp that illuminates the road of life; Morality is the road, leading us to brilliant glory. ("Morality or Brilliance")
Continuous metaphors also constitute parallelism, which deeply and thoroughly discusses the significance and value of morality, such as the sound of drums and knocking on people's hearts.
Another example: the soul is hidden in your heart, shining in your eyes and exposed in your mouth. Therefore, the eyes are the windows of the soul, showing your knowledge, personality, sentiment, interest and aesthetic ability unabashedly. Maybe you are not amazing, your eyes are as small as beans, but there may be a curled-up rotting corpse sleeping inside. Eyes are vivid enough. Language is the mirror of the soul, which perfectly and clearly reflects the depth of your knowledge, the elegance and vulgarity of your interests, the clarity of your thoughts and the purity of your motives. You can sketch yourself with your mouth and express your feelings with words. (On Soul, Eyes and Language)
In this passage, the author uses rhetorical methods such as metaphor, personification and parallelism, which not only discusses the dialectical relationship among "soul", "eyes" and "language", but also allows readers to understand its logic in vivid aesthetics.
Secondly, use image deduction instead of abstract argument.
The specific method is as follows:
Methods 1: Analysis of typical examples.
For example, some cultural "dross" resurfaced in our lives.
Derived by classical analysis method as follows:
Kangxi can die, the Qing Dynasty can die, and the feudal system can be overthrown. However, China people's slave consciousness and imperial power thought have always been "alive" in a different way, sprouting in the spirit of China people all the time. Although after ideological emancipation and the washing of the democratic system, feudal emperors climbed out of the ancient tombs one by one with the attitude of historical heroes, and the braids of the Qing Dynasty became longer and longer. China literati's excavation of classical culture is actually the excavation of zombies of feudal emperors.
-The language here successfully avoids pure logical reasoning and deducts the abstract and boring argumentation process into a bloody historical picture.
Another example: I also heard that climbing relatives. In several places, there is a heated debate about who is the hometown of a celebrity; Several people were praised to death because they were said to be dozens of grandchildren of a celebrity. I don't know, Fan Wenqian's descendants may not worry first, Zhuge Liang's descendants may not be specialized, Zhuji may not have many beautiful women, and Zigui may not have many poets. This habit of climbing relatives is really hard to get rid of. As for climbing relatives with foreigners, there is a little snobbery first, plus a little servility. ("Reading Lu Xun" Chen Siyi)
Taking Fan Zhongyan and Zhuge Liang, Zhuji (hometown) and Zigui (hometown of Qu Yuan) as examples, this paper discusses the absurdity of climbing relatives (celebrities and their hometown). Abstract arguments are replaced by typical examples to avoid lengthy discussion language.
Another example is the scene in the cartoon The Journey to the West that impressed me the most: Tang Priest was meditating and chanting, and suddenly an ant landed on his hand. The Tang Priest didn't shake his hands roughly or run over bugs directly. He just gently put the ant's hand on the ground and let the panicked ant leave safely. I remember that when I saw this passage when I was a child, I always laughed at Tang Priest's pedantry and hypocrisy, but as I grew older, I gradually understood that it was kindness that made me a compassionate saint and showed the love and wisdom of the Buddha. Similarly, when we accumulate goodwill towards nature, who can say anything about me?
Are children really not environmentalists? ("between gestures")
The story in The Journey to the West has always been well known, and the author's well-known image contains a profound analysis of things. At the same time, in the author's pen, Tang's absurd behavior has become an environmental protection move, with a new perspective.
Method 2: Set situational method.
For example, people refuse to take root in kindness. What are the consequences?
Look, the injured old man is lying alone in the street moaning, people turn a blind eye and go their own way; Life in the water is struggling there, and some people just stand on the shore and watch; In the dark, gangsters killed people with knives. Maybe as long as someone shouts, a life can be saved, but some people just ignore it ... If society goes on like this, it will be colder than the grave without any warmth and love. ("Call Back Love")
This paragraph vividly depicts the images of three situations, which makes the reader immersive and enhances the appeal of the article.
Method 3: Citation and demonstration
Proper quotation of historical allusions, famous poems and epigrams not only makes the reasoning profound, implicit and powerful, but also concise and just right; These ready-made sentences with rich cultural background also make the content of the article rich and intriguing.
For example, there is an old saying in China: "There is no limit to learning the sea, and there is no limit to learning the sea." During the Warring States Period in China, Su Qin was the prime minister of the six countries because he studied hard when he was a child. There are many examples of being diligent and eager to learn, such as: Che Yin, in order to study, reflected snow at any cost; When Wang Xizhi was studying calligraphy, he wrote eighteen jars of water and became a generation of calligraphers in China ... This shows that learning requires perseverance, perseverance and hard work. There is nothing in the world for nothing. Even if you are interested, you must be strong and focused at the same time to succeed. ("Plum blossoms are bitter and cold")
As the saying goes, "there is no limit to learning, and learning well will make you an official", which will naturally arouse readers' association and imagination, and the following example of the author will be logical.
Another example: What is the motherland? The simplest answer is that it is a land related to the people and things you live in. However, when Su Shi boasted that "one river does not return", when Yue Fei sang "eight thousand miles in a cloud and a moon", when Wen Tianxiang lamented "there is nothing in the ocean" and when Mao Zedong lamented "who is in charge of the ups and downs of the world", would the answer to what is the motherland be so simple?
The famous sayings of celebrities here contain the rich and profound spirits of these celebrities-thoughts, feelings, character, ethics and so on. And the quotation enhances the meaning of the text, which can be said to be accurate and powerful, making people unforgettable.
Another example: there is a foggy river in life, and people with lofty ideals are expected to cross it.
I like Li Qingzhao, who is graceful and full of heroic spirit. Although she was "as thin as yellow flowers", she also sang Xiang Yu who refused to cross Jiangdong. I like Xin Qiji, very Thai and passionate. Although nostalgic, it is also a "bamboo building with loose windows, full of chic"; I like the heroic and gloomy land trip. Although "lying at night listening to the wind and rain", "I dare not forget to worry about my country" is his original intention.
Method 4: Metaphorical argument
Metaphor is metaphor. Using the method of metaphor argument, we can simplify the complicated truth and visualize the abstract things. Lively and vivid, enhance attraction.
For example: the heart is the door, which opens an entrance to the knowledge world for you; Heart is the road, guiding you to success; The heart is a kite that takes you to the boundless sky. If the heart is a door, then the key is in your hand, and tomorrow's world is up to you to choose; If the heart is the road, then the road is under your feet, and you can control where it leads; If the heart is a kite, then the thread is in your hand and the flying sky is up to you. Then, be a good watcher of your heart, don't let worldly and despicable pollution you, and give your heart a real choice! (Watcher of the Mind)
This passage uses three metaphors in succession, respectively comparing "heart" to "door", "road" and "kite". On this basis, further discussion is made.
For another example: [fragment ①] Perhaps you have been neglected for a long time because you are unremarkable and unknown among all living beings. However, you don't have to be timid, but dare to show the real you. Because you are irreplaceable by others ... ("show your true self")
[Fragment 2] Maybe you are a hard rock standing in the mountains, exposed to the sun and rain all day. Years have changed, things have changed, and you have been mercilessly forgotten in a corner. You don't have to complain about this. You know, standing for a long time has written down your eternity.
Maybe you are a porcelain that failed in calcination and was left out in the cold as soon as it came out of the furnace. Without the beauty of uniform solidification, it is impossible to treasure it in incense.
In the cupboard. You really don't have to sigh about this. You know, when you remove all kinds of impurities and change from an adobe to a porcelain, your life has become hot and bright in the fire. You should be very pleased with this. The older the pottery, the more precious it is, because they represent the real past.
Maybe you are a leaf that has survived the dry season, a humble boat in a big river, and you won't even attract people's attention and wonder. You don't have to give up in this regard. You know, plain is true, and the most natural is the most unique. Show your true style and you will have the whole world! ("Show your true self")
The meaning of the above two selected articles is basically the same, both of which are about transcending shortcomings and daring to "show your true self". The fragment (1) is a bit empty and straightforward. The fragment (2) uses concrete images such as "stubborn stone", "porcelain", "Ye Er" and "ship" for metaphorical reasoning, which is vivid, concrete and full of emotion, and can arouse readers' voices, and has good appeal and persuasiveness.
Method 5: Analogy demonstration method
Analogy argument is a method to prove an argument by comparing and analogizing things or cases with some similar characteristics. "Those born in Huainan are oranges, and those born in Huaibei are oranges" in Yan Zi makes Chu an application of this method. Another example is the following paragraph in the exercise "Love needs to be copied and pasted":
..... people who are used to living on the fast information network don't know how many operations like "save", "copy", "paste" and "delete" are there every day. But have you ever tried to manipulate some human virtues in a similar way? Please let me tell you a wonderful operation: first save love, then copy, and more importantly paste. Try it, life will be better because of you. Love needs everyone to "save", "copy" and "paste", not just one person or a foundation to spread it. Social needs, the love of Bai, Li and Faye Wong, but also the love of everyone who has worked hard. Love can "add up to a big one".
Love is not deleted or saved. Need everyone to copy and paste. As long as everyone posts love once, the world will become a beautiful world.
Having love and spreading love are as important as "copying" and "pasting" in computer operation. With the help of another tangible thing with the same nature, the thoroughness of reasoning has been subtly deepened: the truth that was not easy to explain has become simple and easy to understand through analogy.