Produced by W. B. Jenness
ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS, IN THE YEAR 1865, BY
JOHN D. PHILBRICK,
IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE
OF THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS.
RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE:
STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY
H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY.
PREFACE.
The design of this book is twofold,--to meet the present demand for new
selections suited to the spirit of the hour, and also to furnish a choice
collection of standard pieces for elocutionary exercises on which time has
set its lasting seal. In the execution of this design no pains have been
spared in selecting and preparing the best pieces, both new and old.
The extracts from recent productions, numbering about one hundred, by more
than fifty different authors, are now for the first time presented in a
Speaker. They are for the most part the eloquent utterances of our best
orators and poets, inspired by the present national crisis, and are
therefore "all compact of the passing hour," breathing "the fine sweet
spirit of nationality,--the nationality of America." They give expression
to the emotions excited, the hopes inspired, and the duties imposed by this
stormy and perilous period. They afford brilliant illustrations of the
statesmanship of the crisis. Sumner exposes the origin and mainspring of
the rebellion, Douglass strips off its pretext, Everett paints its crime,
Boutwell boldly proclaims its remedy in emancipation, and Banks pronounces
a benediction on the first act of reconstruction on the solid basis of
freedom to all. They furnish also an epitome of the convict of arms. Bryant
utters the rallying cry to the people, Whittier responds in the united
voice of the North, Holmes sounds the grand charge, Pierpont gives the
command "Forward!" Longfellow and Boker immortalize the unconquerable
heroism of our braves on sea and land, and Andrew and Beecher speak in
tender accents the gratitude of loyal hearts to our fallen heroes.
These new pieces will for a time receive the preference over old ones, and
some of them will survive the period which called them forth. But to insure
for the work, if possible, a permanent value as a Standard Speaker for
students of common schools, higher seminaries and colleges, the greater
part of the selections, nearly three hundred in number, have been chosen
from those of acknowledged excellence, and of unquestionable merit as
exercises for recitation and declamation. This department comprises every
variety of style necessary in elocutionary culture.
Another important feature of the collection is the introduction of those
masterpieces of oratory--long excluded from books of this class, though now
rendered appropriate by the new phase of public opinion,which advocate the
inalienable rights of man, and denounce the crime of human bondage. Aware
of the deep and lasting power which pieces used for declamation exert in
moulding the ideas and opinions of the young, it has been my aim to admit
only such productions as inculcate the noblest and purest sentiments,
teaching patriotism, loyalty, and justice, and bring the youthful heart
with ambition to be useful, and with heroic devotion to duty.
The text of the extracts has been made to conform to that of the most
authentic editions of the works of their authors. Some pieces which have
heretofore been presented in a mutilated form, are here restored to their
original completeness. Where compression or abridgment has been necessary,
it has been executed with caution, and with strict regard to the sentiments
and ideas of the authors. Fully convinced that elaborate treatises on
elocution more appropriately form separate publications, nothing of the
kind has been included in this volume. A summary of practical suggestions
to teachers and students was thought to form a more useful introduction.
For the sake of artistic beauty in the page, as well as for the convenience
of the student, the notes and explanatory remarks necessary for the proper
understanding of the pieces, have been thrown together at the end of the
volume, and so arranged that reference to them can be easily made.
This work, the preparation of which has been a recreation rather than a
labor--an agreeable diversion from the daily routine of a laborious
office,--is the embodiment of the experience and observation of twenty-five
years, with reference to this description of literature. It originated in a
desire to contribute something to the furtherance of the right education of
the young men of my country, and the extent to which it promotes this
object, will in my estimation, be the measure of its success.
Boston, July 4, 1864.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ON DECLAMATION.
It is not my purpose to present here a theory of elocution, or a systematic
treatise on the art of speaking. My object will be accomplished if I
succeed in furnishing a summary of practical suggestions and hints on the
subject of declamation which shall prove useful both to student and to such
teachers as have not made the study of elocution a specialty.
That a correct and impressive elocution is a desirable attainment, few will
venture to deny. In my judgment it is the crowning grace of a liberal
education. To the highest success in those professions which involve public
speaking, it is, of course, indispensable. No person, whatever is to be his
destination in life, who aspires to a respectable education and to mingle
in good society, can afford to dispense with this accomplishment. If a
young man means to succeed in life and attain distinction and influence, he
should spare no pains in the cultivation of the faculty of speech. The
culture of his vocal organs should keep pace with the culture of his mental
powers. While acquiring a knowledge of literature and science, he should
also form the habit of speaking his vernacular with propriety, grace, ease,
and elegance, sparing no effort to acquire what has been aptly called "the
music of the phrase; that clear, flowing, and decided sound of the whole
sentence, which embraces both tone and accent, and which is only to be
learned from the precept and example of an accomplished teacher."
As a means of acquiring an appropriate, effective, and graceful elocution
for the purposes of conversation, reading, and public speaking, the
exercise of declamation, when properly conducted, cannot be too highly
valued. It must be confessed, however that the practice of declaiming as
managed in some institutions, is comparatively useless, if not positively
injurious. Hence arises the prejudice against it which exists in some
quarters. And it is not surprising that the results of declamation should
be unsatisfactory, considering the defective methods of conducting it,
which are still prevalent in not a few places. What can be expected of
declamation which consists in repeating on the stage a few
pieces,--injudiciously selected and imperfectly committed,--without
previous or accompanying vocal training? The remarks of Dr. Rush, on this
topic, though made more than a quarter of a century ago, are still to some
extent applicable. "Go to some, may I say all, of our colleges and
universities, and observe how the art of speaking is not taught. See a boy
of but fifteen treats sent upon the stage, pale and choking with
apprehension, in an attempt to do that, without instruction, which he came
purposely to learn; and furnishing amusement to his classmates, by a
pardonable awkwardness, which should be punished in the person of his
pretending but neglectful preceptor with little less than scourging. Then
visit a conservatory of music; observe there the orderly tasks, the
masterly discipline, the unwearied superintendence and the incessant toil
to produce accomplishment of voice; and afterward do not be surprised that
the pulpit, the senate, the bar, and the chair of the medical professorship
are filled with such abominable drawlers, mouthers, mumblers, clutterers,
squeakers, chanters, and mongers in monotony; nor that the schools of
singing are constantly sending abroad those great instances of vocal
wonder, who draw forth the intelligent curiosity and produce the crowning
delight and approbation of the prince and the sage."
This eminent writer's great work on the Philosophy of the Human Voice has
done much to correct the evil which he so graphically described. There are
now some schools and colleges to be found in which elocution is taught with
much skill and success. Among the disciples of Dr. Rush who have most
successfully cultivated the art of elocution in America, the foremost place
belongs to Professor William Russell, whose valuable and protracted labors
in this department of education, both as an author and a practical
instructor, merit the highest commendation.
As the first of my recommendations, I would, at the outset, strenuously
insist on the importance of systematic vocal culture, which implies the
training of the ear to perceive the various qualities and modifications of
vocal expression, and the training of the voice to produce them. All the
different functions of the voice employed in speech should be analytically
exemplified by the teacher, and practised by the pupil, in the reading or
recitation of short passages in which they are well illustrated, such as
may be found in any good manual of elocution. This kind of teaching is to
elocution what practice upon the scale is to music, and what the practice
of the eye upon the harmony and contrast of colors is to painting.
This course of training naturally divides itself into two
departments:--first that which is mechanical; and, secondly, that which
relates to the expression of thought and emotion.
I. THAT WHICH IS MECHANICAL.
BREATHING. The human voice is a musical instrument, an organ of exquisite
contrivance and adaptation of parts. Breath being the material of its
sound, vocal training should begin with the function of breathing. Vigorous
respiration is as essential to good elocution as it is to good health. To
secure this it is necessary, in the first place, to attend to the posture,
taking care to give the utmost freedom, expansion, and capacity to the
chest, and then to exercise and develop all the muscles employed in
respiration, so that they may be habitually used with energy and power,
both in the inhalation and expulsion of the breath. Whenever the voice is
to be used in speaking, reading, singing, or animated conversation, the
pupil should be required to assume the proper position, and to bring into
exercise the whole muscular apparatus of the vocal organs, including the
muscles of the abdomen, of the back, of the ribs, and of the chest.
Elocutionary exercises, especially that of declamation, thus practised with
a due regard to the function of breathing, become highly beneficial in a
hygienic point of view, imparting health and vigor to the whole physical
system. The want of this kind of training is the cause of much of the
bronchial disease with which clergymen and other public speakers are
afflicted. In the excellent work on Elocution, by Russell and Murdock, the
following exercises in breathing are prescribed and explained:--"Attitude
of the body and position of the organs; deep breathing; diffusive or
tranquil breathing; expulsive or forcible breathing; explosive or abrupt
breathing; sighing; sobbing; gasping; and panting."
Experience has proved that the respiratory organs are susceptible of a high
degree of development, and it is well known that the strength of the voice
depends on the capacity, health, and action of those organs. It is
therefore of paramount importance that elocutionary culture should be based
on the mechanical function of respiration. And while the elocutionist
trains his pupils in such breathing exercises as are above named, he is at
the same time giving the very best part of physical education; for the
amount of vital power, as well as the amount of vocal power, depends upon
the health and vigor of the respiratory process. Few are aware how much may
be effected by these exercises, judiciously practiced, in those
constitutions where the chest is narrow, indicating a tendency to pulmonary
disease. In all such cases, regularly repeated deep inspirations are of the
highest value. It should be observed that these exercises are best
performed in the open air, or, at least, in a well-ventilated room, the
windows being open for the time. But no directions however wise or minute,
can supersede the necessity of a competent teacher in this branch of
physical and vocal training, and I cannot dismiss this topic without
expressing my high appreciation of the value of the labors of that great
master of the science of vocal culture, Prof. Lewis B. Monroe, of Boston,
who is probably unsurpassed in this, or any other country, as a practical
teacher of the mechanism and physiology of speech. Already the benefit of
his instruction in this department of education is widely felt, and I omit
no opportunity to advise teachers to avail themselves of a longer or
shorter course of his admirable training. For if there is any
accomplishment which a teacher should be unwilling to forego, it is that,
of skill in elocution.
ARTICULATION. A good articulation consists in giving to each letter its
appropriate sound, and to each syllable and word an accurate, forcible, and
distinct utterance, according to an approved standard of pronunciation.
This is what constitutes the basis of all good delivery. It has been well
said that good articulation is to the ear what a fair hand or a clear type
is to the eye. Austin's often-quoted description of a good articulation
must not be omitted here. "In just articulation, the words are not to be
hurried over, nor precipitated syllable over syllable; nor as it were
melted together into a mass of confusion. They should be neither abridged
nor prolonged, nor swallowed, nor forced; they should not be trailed, nor
drawled, nor let to slip out carelessly, so as to drop unfinished. They are
to be delivered out from the lips as beautiful coins newly issued from the
mint, deeply and accurately impressed, perfectly finished, neatly struck by
the proper organs, distinct, in due succession, and of due weight." Good
articulation is not only necessary to the speaker, as a condition of being
heard and understood, but it is a positive beauty of delivery, for the
elementary sounds of speech, when properly uttered, are in themselves both
agreeable and impressive. For the attainment of this desirable
accomplishment, three classes of exercises are necessary. 1. Upon the
separate elementary sounds of the language, both vowels and consonants; 2.
Upon their various combinations, both such as constitute syllables and such
as do not, and especially the more difficult combinations of consonants;
and, 3. Upon words; spelling them by sounds, that is, uttering the
elementary sounds separately, and then the whole word.
Respecting these exercises, Dr. Rush observes:--"When the elements are
pronounced singly, they may receive a concentration of organic effort,
which gives them a clearness of sound, and a definiteness of outline, if I
may so speak, at their extremes, that make a fine preparation for a
distinct and forcible pronunciation of the compounds of speech." By
elementary sounds is here meant the forty-two sounds of the language which
are represented by the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. They are
represented in the following
TABLE OF ELEMENTARY SOUNDS.
VOWELS.
1. e, eve. 7. a, arm. 13. o, move.
2. i, in. 8. a, all. 14. u, full.
3. a, ale. 9, o, on. 15. u, tune.
4. e, end. 10. e, err. 16. i, isle.
5. a, air. 11. o, own. 17. oi, oil.
6. a, and. 12. u, un. 18. ou, our.
CONSONANTS.
1. p, rope. 9. th, bath. 17. ch, etch.
2. b, robe. 10. th, bath. 18. dg,(j) edge.
3. f, safe. 11. s, buss. 19. sh, rash.
4. v, save. 12. z, buzz. 20. g,(zh) rouge.
5. m, seem. 13. l, feel. 21. k, rack.
6. w, way. 14. r, fear. 22. g, rag.
7. t, feet. 15. n, seen. 23. ng, sing.
8. d, feed. 16. y, yea. 24. h, hay.
Pronounce the word eve, for example, slowly and distinctly, observing the
sounds which compose the word, and the movements of the organs in producing
them. Then enunciate singly the sound which the letter standing on the left
has in the word. When a distinct idea of each sound has been acquired, the
practice on the separate elements may be continued without pronouncing the
words. I have heard these sounds given with distinctness by children five
or six years of age. Indeed they should always be taught with the alphabet.
The next step in articulation proceeds with the combinations of the
elementary sounds. The most common combinations of consonantal sounds in
pairs are those represented in the following
TABLE OF COMBINED CONSONANTS.
pl lf zm zn kr vd rth
bl lv mp ln pr zd nth
fl lt mf rn rp gd thz
vl ld mt nt rb bz thr
tl ls md nd rf vz thn
dl lz mz ns rv dz lch
sl lk pn nz rt gz rch
zl lg fn pr rd nk nch
kl lm vn br rz ks ndg(j)
gl ln tn fr rk kt shr
lp rm dn tr rg st ndg
lb sm sn dr bd sp ndz
When the simpler combinations have become familiar, the more difficult,
consisting of three or four consonants, should be practised upon. Finally,
words should be pronounced simply as words, giving attention solely to the
articulation. Not that the first steps are expected to be perfect before
the succeeding ones are attempted, but that attention should be given to
only one thing at a time, a grand maxim in education, when rightly
understood. These exercises should be commenced with the first steps in
reading, and continued until the articulation is perfected, and the student
has acquired facility as well as precision, grace as well as force, and
distinctness and ease have been united and permanently secured.
I would not be understood to affirm that the mode here pointed out is the
only one by which a good articulation can be acquired. If a child is
brought up among persons whose articulation is good, and if, from the
earliest years, he is trained to speak with deliberation and distinctness,
he will in most cases have a good articulation for conversational purposes,
without special drilling on the elements.
II. THAT WHICH RELATES TO THE EXPRESSION OF THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS,
INCLUDING THE QUALITIES AND MANAGEMENT OF THE VOICE.
This branch of vocal gymnastics comprises, first the appropriate discipline
of the voice for its formation and development, by strengthening it, by
extending its compass, and by improving its quality so as to render it
full, sonorous, and agreeable; and, secondly, the training of the voice in
those modifications which are used in the expressions of thought and
feeling, including all that variety of management which appears in the
delivery of a good speaker.
STRENGTH. To secure the requisite strength of voice should be our first aim
in a course of vocal culture. So important was this element of elocutionary
training considered by the Athenians, that they had a class of teachers who
were wholly devoted to it as a specialty. The zeal and perseverance of
Demosthenes in correcting the natural deficiencies of his voice, have
passed into a proverb. How he was accustomed to run up the steepest hills,
and to declaim on the sea-shore, when the waves were violently agitated, in
order to acquire strength of voice and force of utterance is known to every
school-boy.
If strength of voice is of paramount importance to the speaker, it is also
an element which is very susceptible of cultivation. Professor Russell
says,--"The fact is familiar to instructors in elocution, that persons
commencing practice [in vocal gymnastics] with a very weak and inadequate
voice, attain, in a few weeks, a perfect command of the utmost degrees of
force." As has already been intimated, the strength of the voice depends
directly upon the condition and use of the respiratory organs, including
the larynx, and indirectly upon the general health and vigor of the whole
physical system. The volume of breath which can be inhaled, and the force
with which it can be expelled determine the degree of energy with which
vocal sounds are uttered. This fact affords a clear indication of the
proper mode of developing the strength of the voice. It is evident that the
exercises which have for their object the strengthening of the voice,
should also be adapted to develop and perfect the process of breathing. The
student should be frequently trained in set exercises in loud exclamations,
pronouncing with great force the separate vowel sounds, single words, and
whole sentences, and at the same time taking care to bring into vigorous
action, all the muscular apparatus of respiration. Shouting, calling, and
loud vociferation, in the open air, both while standing, and while walking
or running, are, with due caution, effective means of acquiring vigor of
utterance. Children when at play are instinctively given to vociferation,
which should be permitted, whenever practicable. One of the most remarkable
examples of the extent to which the power of voice may be developed, is
that of the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, the celebrated itinerant preacher. Having
listened to his preaching in the open air, in Philadelphia, on a certain
occasion, Dr. Franklin found by computation, that he might well be heard by
more than thirty thousand auditors. It is said that the habit of speaking
gave to the utterance of Garrick so wonderful an energy, that even his
under-key was distinctly audible to ten thousand people. Dr. Porter sums up
this matter thus :--"The public speaker needs a powerful voice; the
quantity of voice which he can employ, at least can employ with safety,
depends on his strength of lungs; and this again depends on a sound state
of general health. If he neglects this, all other precautions will be
useless."
COMPASS. When a person is engaged in earnest conversation, his voice
spontaneously adopts a certain key or pitch. This is called the natural or
middle key, and it varies in different persons. Pitt's voice, it is said,
was a full tenor, and Fox's a treble. When a speaker is incapable of loud
and forcible utterance on both high and low notes, his voice is said to be
wanting in compass. Webster's voice was remarkable for the extent of its
compass, ranging with the utmost ease, from the highest to the lowest
notes, required by a spirited and diversified delivery; and such was said
to be the versatility of Whitefield's vocal power, that he could imitate
the tones of a female, or the infant voice, at one time, and at another,
strike his hearers with awe, by the thunder of his under-key.
The want of compass is more frequently the result of bad habits of speaking
and imperfect training than of incapacity of the vocal organs. Mr. Murdock,
the well-known actor and elocutionist, tells us that, by appropriate vocal
training, he gained, within the space of some months, to such an extent, in
power and depth of voice, as to add to its previous range a full octave;
and this improvement was made at a period after he supposed himself nearly
broken down in health and voice, by over-exertion on the stage.
A command of the low notes is essential to the fullest effect of impressive
eloquence. The strongest and deepest emotions can be expressed only by a
full, deep-toned utterance. Speaking on one key, with only slight
variations, either above or below it, is perhaps the most common, and, at
the same time, the most injurious fault both of declaimers and of public
speakers.
As a means of acquiring compass of voice, the student should pronounce with
great force the vowel sounds on both the highest and lowest notes he can
reach. This elementary drill should be followed by practice in reading and
declaiming selections requiring the extreme notes of the compass. For
practice on the low notes, passages should be selected expressing deep
solemnity, awe, horror, melancholy, or deep grief. The following fine
simile affords an excellent example for practice on the low notes:--
"So when an angel, by divine command,
With rising tempests shakes a guilty land,
Such as of late o'er pale Brittania passed,
Calm and serene he drives the furious blast;
And, pleased th' Almighty's orders to perform,
Rides in the whirlwind and directs the storm."
The development of the top of the voice requires practice upon passages
expressing brisk, gay, and joyous emotions, and the extremes of pain, fear,
and grief. The following examples may serve as illustrations:
Last came Joy's ecstatic trial:
He, with viny crown advancing,
First to the lively pipe his hand addressed:
But soon he saw the brisk, awakening viol,
Whose sweet entrancing voice he loved the best.
They would have thought, who heard the strain,
They saw, in Tempé's vale, her native maids,
Amidst the festal-sounding shades,
To some unlearned minstrel dancing;
While, as his flying fingers kissed the strings,
Love framed with Mirth a gay fantastic round.
Strike--till the last armed foe expires;
Strike--for your altars and your fires;
Strike--for the green graves of your sires,--
God.--and your native land!
QUALITY. A voice may possess the properties we have considered, strength
and compass, and yet be very far from perfection. It may be neither loud,
nor round, nor clear, nor full, nor sweet. While on the other hand, it may
be hollow, or aspirated, or guttural, or nasal, or possibly it may be
afflicted with a combination of these faults. As one of the most important
conditions of success in the cultivation of the voice, it is necessary that
the student should acquire a distinct conception of the qualities and
characteristics of a good voice, as a standard, a beau-ideal, which he may
strive to reach. This must be derived mainly from the illustrations of the
teacher, or from listening to the speaking of an accomplished orator. No
mere description is adequate to convey it to the learner without the aid of
the living voice. And yet, such a quaint and charming description of both
the negative and positive qualities of a good voice, as the following, from
a colloquy between Professor Wilson and the Ettrick Shepherd, is worth
studying:--
NORTH. (Professor Wilson)
"James, I love to hear your voice. An Esquimaux would feel
himself getting civilized under it for there's sense in the very
sound. A man's character speaks in his voice, even more than in
his words. These he may utter by rote, but his 'voice is the man
for a' that,' and betrays or divulges his peculiar nature. Do you
like my voice, James? I hope you do."
Shepherd. (James Hogg.)
"I wad ha'e kent it, Mr. North, on the tower o' Babel, on the day
o' the great hubbub. I think Socrates maun ha'e had just sic a
voice--ye canna weel ca 't sweet, for it is ower intellectual for
that--ye canna ca 't saft, for even in its aigh notes there's a
sort o' birr, a sort o' dirl that betokens power--ye canna ca 't
hairsh, for angry as ye may be at times, it's aye in tune frae
the fineness o' your ear for music--ye canna ca 't sherp, for
it's aye sae nat'ral--and flett it cud never be, gin you were
even gi'en ower by the doctors. It's maist the only voice I ever
heard, that I can say is at ance persuawsive and commanding--you
micht fear 't, but you maun love 't; and there's no a voice in
all his Majesty's dominions, better framed by nature to hold
communion with friend or foe."
The quality of voice to which I would here call special attention is called
pure tone, which in its perfection, accompanied with strength and compass,
comprises nearly all the requisites of a good voice. "True utterance and
pure tone," says Professor Russell, "employ the whole apparatus of voice,
in one consentaneous act, combining in one perfect sphere of sound, if it
may be so expressed, the depth of effect produced by the resonance of the
chest, the force and firmness imparted by the due compression of the
throat, the clear, ringing property, caused by the due proportion of nasal
effect, and the softening and sweetening influence of the head and mouth."
The orotund quality which is so effective in impassioned utterance, and in
the expression of deep, forcible, and sublime emotions, is nothing more
than pure tone increased in extent of volume, and in intensity of force.
This modification of pure tone is very full, very rounds very smooth, and
very highly resonant or ringing. It is what Dr. Rush regarded as the
highest perfection of speech-voice, and as the natural language of the
highest species of emotion. Volume and energy are its distinguishing
characteristics. The piece from Webster on page 160, is a good illustration
of its use.
In cultivating purity of tone, it is necessary, in the first place, to
ascertain the elements of impurity, and their causes and remedies. To this
negative process must be added the positive, namely--attention to the due
and proportionate development of all the vocal organs. Depth is increased
by the expansion of the pharynx; roundness and volume are promoted by the
enlargement of the oral cavity, especially its back part; and smoothness is
the result of the free vibration of the vocal chords, while resonance is
produced by the proper expansion of the chest.
MODULATION. This has reference, not to the qualities of the voice itself,
but to its management in delivery. It includes those modifications and
variations which are requisite for the expression of thoughts and feelings,
and are therefore denominated by some elocutionists, the elements of
expression, in distinction from the elements of utterance, which we have
already considered under the preceding heads. The principal expressive
modifications of the voice, are pitch, force, rate, pause, and infection.
The voice should be exercised on these elements separately, till each can
be produced in all its varieties and degrees. The middle pitch, or
key-note, is that of common discourse, but by practice it may be rendered
effective in public speaking. Neglect to cultivate and develop the power of
speaking on this key, often leads speakers to adopt the high, shouting
note, which is heard so commonly, and with so much disapprobation, at
exhibitions of declamation. Every one can speak on a high key, although
without training few can do it pleasingly; but command over the low notes
of the voice is a rare accomplishment, and an unequivocal characteristic of
the finished speaker. It is well to pay some attention to the very high and
very low notes, not so much for their own utility in public speaking as for
the purpose of giving strength and firmness to the notes which are
intermediate between the natural pitch and either extreme, and which are
designated as simply high and low, without any qualifying term. After
accustoming the ear and voice to the different notes, the student should
learn to make sudden transitions from one key to another.
FORCE. The principal degrees of force requiring attention, are three: the
moderate, the declamatory, and the impassioned. The degrees lower than
moderate are, the suppressed and the subdued; and those higher than
impassioned are, shouting and calling. But these are not very important in
practical delivery.
RATE has reference to the kinds of movement in delivery, including the
rapid, the moderate, and the slow. Mrs. Siddon's primary rule for good
reading was, "Take Time." Excessive rapidity of utterance is, undoubtedly,
a very prevalent fault, both in speaking and in conversation. Deliberate
speech is usually a characteristic of culture and good-breeding. This
excellence is greatly promoted by giving due quantity, or prolongation of
sound, to the vowels.
PAUSES. Besides the pauses required by the syntactical structure of the
sentence, and denoted by grammatical punctuation, there are the pauses of
passion, and the pauses at the termination of the clusters into which words
are grouped in good speaking.
The pauses of emotion occur in impassioned delivery. They usually consist
in lengthening the stops indicated by the punctuation marks, especially
those of the points of exclamation and interrogation, and the dash. Pauses
of this description constitute one of the most importent of the elements of
emphatic expression, and yet they are, by many speakers, altogether
neglected, or so abridged as to destroy their effect. The young student is
particularly apt to disregard them.
The pauses which mark the grouping of words according to the sense, and
afford rests for taking breath, should generally be introduced before the
nominative, if it consists of several words, or if it is one important
word; before and after an intermediate clause; before the relative; before
and after clauses introduced by prepositions; before conjunctions; and
before the infinitive mood, if any words intervene betwixt it and the word
governing it.
INFLECTIONS. The two chief inflections or slides are the raising and the
falling. The voice, when properly managed, usually rises or falls on each
emphatic syllable. These upward and downward movements of the voice are
what we mean by inflections. The student should practice on them till he
can inflect with ease and in a full sonorous voice. Persons who are
deficient in tune do not readily perceive the difference between the rising
slide and loudness of voice, or the falling and softness. It is a very
useful exercise to pronounce the long vowel sounds giving to each first the
rising then the falling slide. The prolongation of these sounds is most
profitably connected with the slides, the voice being thus strengthened in
its whole range of compass, and, at the same time, accustomed to utter the
musical sounds of speech with due quantity. In inflecting the vowels, the
voice, in order to rise, begins low; and, in order to fall, it begins high.
The rising and falling slides combined form the circumflex, or wave, which
is a very impressive and significant modification of the voice. It is
chiefly used in sarcasm, raillery, irony, wit, and humor. It well deserves
careful study and practice.
THE MONOTONE, is the repetition of nearly the same tone on successive
syllables, resembling the repeated strokes of the bell. This element
belongs to very grave delivery, especially where emotions of awe,
sublimity, grandeur, and vastness are expressed, and is peculiarly adapted
to devotional exercises. The following example well illustrates its use:
"He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under
his feet,--And he rode upon a cherub and did fly; yea, he did
fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret
place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick
clouds of the skies."
In practical delivery, the elements of expression are never used
independently of each other, two or three being always combined, even in
the utterance of the shortest passage. The perfection of vocal training,
therefore, requires a command, not merely of each individual modification
of the voice, but of all their numerous combinations. The following example
requires the union of declamatory force, low pitch, slow rate, monotone,
and orotund quality:--
"High on a throne of royal state, which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormus. and of Ind,
Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand,
Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
Satan exalted sat."
What has been said thus far, relates wholly to preparatory training in the
elements of elocution. I have dwelt upon this theoretical department of my
subject, because of its transcendent importance. But I do not mean to
imply, in anything that has been presented, that the pupil should be
confined exclusively to this disciplinary drill, for a long period, without
attempting practical exercises in reading and declamation. On the contrary,
I would recommend that this practice on the vocal and expressive elements
be carried forward together with practice in speaking pieces. Exercises in
vocal gymnastics, such as I have now indicated, should be commenced with
the first stages of education, and continued, with gradations adapted to
the age and progress of the pupil, through the whole course of instruction,
whether longer or shorter. The value of thorough elementary training is
well illustrated by the following anecdote respecting the education of the
ear and the singing voice:--
"Porpora, one of the most illustrious masters of Italy, having
conceived a friendship for a young pupil, exacted from him the
promise that he would persevere with constancy in the course
which he should mark out for him. The master then noted upon a
single page of ruled paper, the diatonic and chromatic scales,
ascending and descending; the intervals of third, fourth, fifth,
&c. This eternal page occupied master and pupil until the sixth
year, when the master added some lessons in articulation and
declamation. At the end of this year, the pupil, who still
supposed himself in the elements, was much surprised when Porpora
said to him, 'Go, my son, you have nothing more to learn; you are
the first singer of Italy, and of the world.' The master had
spoken the truth, for this singer was Caffarelli, the greatest
singer of the eighteenth century."
EXPRESSION
This term is used here, not in its limited and technical meaning, but in
its largest sense, as a convenient one to denote the practical application
of the principles of vocal culture which I have recommended. We will
suppose the student to be thoroughly trained in enunciation, that his
utterance is distinct and his pronunciation is correct, and that his voice
is fully developed and well modulated. The question now arises, How is he
to be guided in the right use of his powers of speech in the delivery of a
given piece? On this point there is a wide difference of opinion among
writers on elocution. On the one hand there are those who contend that, in
the delivery of every sentence, the application of emphasis, pause, pitch,
inflection, &c., should be governed by definite rules. In accordance with
this theory, they have formed complex systems of elocutionary rules, for
the guidance of pupils in reading aloud and in declamation. On the other
hand, there are authorities of eminence, who regard all specific rules for
the management of the voice in speaking as not merely useless, but
positively injurious. Most prominent among the latter class is Archbishop
Whately who, in speaking of the method of teaching expressive delivery by
rules, says:--"Such a plan not only directs us into a circuitous and
difficult path, towards an object which may be reached by a shorter and
straighter, but also in most instances completely fails of that very
object, and even produces oftener than not, effects the very reverse of
what was designed." Reprobating very emphatically all systematic attention
to elocution as an art, this eminent author advocates what he calls the
natural manner of speaking, for the attainment of which he prescribes the
rule, "not only to pay no studied attention to the voice, but studiously to
withdraw the thoughts from it, and to dwell as intently as possible on the
sense, trusting to nature to suggest spontaneously the proper emphasis and
tones."
The true course seems to me to lie midway between these two opposite
extremes. While it is useless to attempt to reduce to exact system all the
modifications of voice to be employed in the delivery of both plain and
allegorical language, still there are many important elocutionary rules and
principles which are eminently useful for the guidance of the student.
Because Walker fell into the error of attempting to carry his principles
too far, and perplexed the student with an endless list of rules, it does
not follow that all rules should be disregarded. His rules for inflections
are, no doubt, too complex and artificial for ordinary instruction in
elocution, but those found in the works of Dr. Porter and Professor Russell
are calculated to afford important aid; and Professor Mark Bailey, in his
Introduction to "Hillard's Sixth Reader," has still further simplified the
subject. The following principles which he lays down for regulating the
inflections are at once comprehensive and practical.
"The 'rising' and 'falling' slides separate the great mass of ideas into
two distinct classes; the first comprising all the subordinate, or
incomplete, or, as we prefer to name them, the negative ideas; the second
comprising all the principal, or complete, or, as we call them, the
positive ideas.
"The most important parts of what is spoken or written, are those which
affirm something positively, such as the facts and truths asserted, the
principles, sentiments, and actions enjoined, with the illustrations, and
reasons, and appeals, which enforce them. All these may properly be grouped
into one class, because they all should have the same kind of slide in
reading. This class we call 'positive ideas.'
"So all the other ideas which do not affirm or enjoin anything positively,
which are circumstantial and incomplete, or in open contrast with the
positive, all these ideas may be properly grouped into another single
class because they all should have the same kind of slide. This class we
call 'negative ideas.'
"Positive ideas should have the falling slide; Negative ideas should have
the rising slide.
"All sincere and earnest, or, in other words, all upright and downright
ideas demand the straight, or upright and downright slides.
"All ideas which are not sincere or earnest, but are used in jest, or
irony, in ridicule, sarcasm, or mockery, in insinuation or double-meaning,
demand the crooked or circumflex slides."
These rules taken in connection with the accompanying brief but clear and
precise explanation of the meaning attached to the words positive and
negative, constitute the most admirable generalization that I have met with
in elocutionary works of more recent date than that of Dr. Rush. And,
indeed, Professor Bailey's whole treatment of that part of elocution now
under consideration, is the best illustration I can name of the middle
course which I recommend. Avoiding alike the ultra "artificial" system of
Walker and the ultra "natural" system of Whately, he combines in his
instruction the excellencies of both, without their faults. He is both
philosophical in his theory, and practical in its application. He attempts
only what is practicable. He insists on analysis, but his analysis is at
once simple and comprehensive. He classes the different kinds of
composition with respect to the emotions, as follows,--1. Unemotional; 2.
Bold; 3. Animated or joyous; 4. Subdued or pathetic; 5. Noble; 6. Grave; 7.
Ludicrous or sarcastic, 8. Impassioned,--and then indicates the
modifications of voice appropriate for each.
Now such a course of training based on such principles, especially if
pursued under a competent instructor, cannot fail to be highly beneficial.
Experience has proved it. Whately is evidently in error in wholly
proscribing attention to the voice in speaking. In learning to dance, the
pupil must pay attention to the motions of his limbs, but when practice has
made the movements familiar, his mind is withdrawn from them. They then
become natural. Just so will the student of elocution. In his disciplinary
exercises he must attend to his voice. He must become accustomed to the
correct application of tones and inflections in the delivery of passages
which illustrate them. But when he comes to practical delivery, then the
mind should be withdrawn from the manner of utterance, and concentrated
intensely upon the matter,--the thoughts and feelings to be expressed. In
private rehearsals, the management of the voice will be a very prominent
object of attention. Declamation is a sort of transition stage, or
intermediate exercise between private rehearsal and practical delivery at
the bar, in the pulpit, or on the platform, and will require more or less
attention to the voice, in proportion to the progress already made by the
pupil. Judicious practice will gradually carry him to that point where he
will wholly cease to think of his manner, and become entirely absorbed in
his subject. He then becomes natural. But even the most accomplished orator
must occasionally give some thought to his voice. When he rises to address
an audience in a new place he must consider the circumstances,--the
capacity of the apartment, the nature and temper of his auditors, &c., and
pitch his voice accordingly. In other words, the speaker must on all
occasions give a general attention to his voice,--sufficient, at least, to
adapt it to the requirements of the position in which he is placed,
modifying it in the progress of the discourse, as the necessity of the case
demands. If the matter of his discourse is very familiar, the skilful
speaker may greatly augment the effectiveness of his delivery by more
particular attention to the manner, while he will seem wholly absorbed in
the spirit and sense of what he utters.
GESTURE.
The limited space allotted to this introduction will not permit a full
discussion of this topic, and I must content myself with presenting a few
general observations concerning it.
The little child, in the unconscious freedom of childhood, before his
actions and manners have been modified by the restraints of artificial
life, affords the best model of gesture. His instinct prompts him to that
visible expression of his thoughts and feelings
"Which we are toiling all our lives to find."
And it may be assumed as a general fact that external expression, unless
repressed by habit or design, usually corresponds with internal emotion.
The great desideratum in gesture is to make the visible expression in
delivery harmonize with the audible, or, as Shakspeare has it, to "suit the
action to the word, and the word to the action."
Professor Russell, in his excellent analysis of this subject says, "The
true speaker must have a true manner; and of the five great attributes of
genuine expression in attitude and action, TRUTH stands first, followed by
FIRMNESS, FORCE, FREEDOM, and PROPRIETY. GRACE, which is sometimes added as
a sixth, is, in all true manly eloquence, but another name for the symmetry
which flows from appropriateness; and, in masculine expression, should
never be a distinct object of attention."
In order to speak well, the orator must be able to stand well, that is, he
should assume a firm but easy and graceful attitude, the weight of the body
resting principally on one foot. The distance between the feet should be
such as to give both firmness and freedom to the position One foot should
be in advance of the other, the toes being turned outward. The attitude
should vary with the thoughts and emotions expressed. Unemotional thoughts
require an attitude of repose, the body resting on the retired foot. Bold
and impassioned language requires the reverse of this. The body is thrown
forward, resting on the foot advanced. In turning from side to side, the
toes should be kept apart and the heels together.