In one essay of this collection of four, Kenneth L. Pike explores the value of exercises which are based on axioms about language structure and which are designed specifically to develop writing competence; he lists eight tagmemic principles accompanied by suggested exercises. In another essay, Pike differentiates the roles of linguist and literary critic and applies linguistic analysis to jokes. Hubert M. English, Jr., demonstrates how using five of Pike's "universal concepts" of perspective can improve the content of student compositions and foster invention. Alan B. Howes emphasizes the student's need to sharpen his perception and consider the subject from several angles before writing about literature. He illustrates the value of Pike's model of particle, wave, and field, developed for the study of language, for encouraging the flexibility of perspective in the study of literature. (JM)