What Is Meant By “the Art Of Conversation”?

It doesn't really mean anything beyond being a good, pleasant and interesting speaker. When television first became widely used, it was often said that it would kill the art of conversation. What people usually meant by this was the habit of sitting together and talking as a family rather than any particular skill.
All the same, conversation can be an art. Many wits in the past have been famous for their speaking skills at least as much as for any other work; examples include Oscar Wilde, Dorothy Parker, Peter Ustinov and, in our own time, probably Stephen Fry. These conversationalists might be hard to imitate, but some people have tried to lay down guidelines for being a good talker. Perhaps the most famous of these was the 18th-century wit Lord Chesterfield, whose letters to his son gave suggestions for being a good companion and speaker that are still relevant today. Chesterfield's maxims include a warning not to show off your learning unnecessarily, and never to start an anecdote unless you're sure you can remember the end.

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