Letter writing, known as dictamen in the Medieval and Renaissance periods,
was formatively dependent upon the theory of oral rhetoric of the ancient
world, some reflections of which are still apparent today. Three oral rhetoric
precepts were applied by letter writers: inventio, locating material for three
kinds of letters; dispositio, organizing letters into an introduction, body, and
conclusion; and style, applying ornateness along with clarity and correctness
to prose. Representative English, Italian, and German letter writing practi
tioners carried the oral tradition along.
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