speaking is realized by few men. Beecher said: "How much squandering
there is of the voice!" meaning that this golden opportunity for
improvement was generally disregarded. It is not too much to say,
however, that if the sweet and gentle expression of the mother, the
strong and affectionate tones of the father, and the spontaneous musical
notes of the children, as heard in daily conversation, could be united
in the voice of the minister and brought to the preaching of his sermon,
there would be little doubt of its magical and enduring effect upon the
hearts of men. The wooing tone of the lover is what the preacher needs
in his pulpit style rather than the voice of declamation and
denunciation.
The study of conversation serves to guide the public speaker not only in
the free and natural use of his voice, enunciation, and expression, but
also in his use of language. He will here learn to choose the simple
word instead of the complex, the short sentence instead of the involved,
the concrete illustration instead of the abstract. He will acquire ease,
spontaneity, simplicity, and directness, and when he rises to speak to
men he will employ tones and words best known and understood by them.
A preacher may spend too much time in study and solitude. If he does he
will soon realize a distinct loss through lack of social intercourse
with his fellow men. The faculties most needed in pulpit preaching are
those very powers that are so largely exercised in ordinary
conversation. The ability to think quickly, to marshal facts and
arguments, to introduce a vivid story or illustration, to parry and
thrust as is sometimes needed to hold one's own ground, and the general
mental activity aroused in conversation, all tend to produce an
interesting, vivacious, and forceful style in public speaking.
We should not underestimate the value of meditation and silence to the
public speaker. These are necessary for original and profound thinking,
for the cultivation of the imagination, and for the accumulation of
thought. But conversation offers an immediate outlet for this stored-up
knowledge, testing it as a finished product in expression, and
projecting it into life and reality by all the resources of voice and
feeling. This exercise is as necessary to the mind as physical exercise
is to the body. Indeed, a full mind demands this relief in expression,
lest the strain become too great.
The daily newspaper and the magazines should not be allowed to usurp the
place of conversation. If the art of talking is rapidly dying out, as
some assert, we should do our share to revive it. We may not again have
the wit and repartee, the brilliant intellectual combats of those other
days, but we can at least each have a cultivated speaking-voice, an
interesting manner of expressing our ideas in conversation, and a
refined pronunciation of our mother tongue.
A TALK TO PREACHERS
The aim of one who would interpret literature to others, by means of the
speaking voice, should be first to assimilate its spirit. There can be
no worthy or adequate rendering of a great poem or prose selection
without a keen appreciation of its inner meaning and content. This is
the principal safeguard against mechanical and meaningless declamation.
The extent of this appreciation and grasp of the inherent spirit of
thought will largely determine the degree of life, reality, and
impressiveness imparted to the spoken word.
The intimate relationship between the voice and the spirit of the
speaker suggests that one is necessary to the fullest development of the
other. The voice can interpret only what has been awakened and realized
within, hence nothing discloses a speaker's grasp of a subject so
accurately and readily as his attempt to give it expression in his own
language. It is this spiritual power, developed principally through the
intuitions and emotions, that gives psychic force to speaking, and which
more than logic, rhetoric, or learning itself enables the speaker to
influence and persuade men.
The minister as an interpreter of the highest spiritual truth should
bring to his work a thoroughly trained emotional nature and a cultivated
speaking voice. It is not sufficient that he state the truth with
clearness and force; he must proclaim it with such passionate enthusiasm
as powerfully to move his hearers. To express adequately the infinite
shades of spiritual truth, he must have the ability to play upon his
voice as upon a great cathedral organ, from "the soft lute of love" to
"the loud trumpet of war."
To assume that the study of the art of speaking will necessarily produce
consciousness of its principles while in the act of speaking in public,
is as unwarranted as to say that a knowledge of the rules of grammar,
rhetoric, or logic lead to artificiality and self-consciousness in the
teacher, writer, and thinker. There is a "mechanical expertness
preceding all art," as Goethe says, and this applies to the orator no
less than to the musician, the artist, the actor, and the litterateur.
Let the minister stand up for even five minutes each day, with chest and
abdomen well expanded, and pronounce aloud the long vowel sounds of the
English language, in various shades of force and feeling, and shortly he
will observe his voice developing in flexibility, resonance, and power.
For it should be remembered that the voice grows through use. Let the
minister cultivate, too, the habit of breathing exclusively through his
nose while in repose, fully and deeply from the abdomen, and he will
find himself gaining in health and mental resourcefulness.
For the larger development of the spiritual and emotional powers of the
speaker, a wide and varied knowledge of men and life is necessary. The
feelings are trained through close contact with human suffering, and in
the work of solving vital social problems. The speaker will do well to
explore first his own heart and endeavor to read its secret meanings,
preliminary to interpreting the hearts of other men. Personal suffering
will do more to open the well-springs of the heart than the reading of
many books.
Care must be had, however, that this cultivating of the feelings be
conducted along rational lines, lest it run not to faith but to
fanaticism. There is a wide difference between emotion designed for
display or for momentary effect, and that which arises from strong inner
conviction and sympathetic interest in others. Spurious, unnatural
feeling will invariably fail to convince serious-minded men.
"Emotion wrought up with no ulterior object," says Dr. Kennard, "is both
an abuse and an injury to the moral nature. When the attention is
thoroughly awakened and steadily held, the hearer is like a well-tuned
harp, each cord a distinct emotion, and the skilful speaker may evoke a
response from one or more at his will. This lays him under a great and
serious responsibility. Let him keep steadily at such a time to his
divine purpose, to produce a healthful action, a life in harmony with
God and a symphony of service."
The emotional and spiritual powers of the speaker will be developed by
reading aloud each day a vigorous and passionate extract from the
Bible, or Shakespeare, or from some great sermon by such men as
Bushnell, Newman, Beecher, Maclaren, Brooks, or Spurgeon. The entire
gamut of human feeling can be highly cultivated by thus reading aloud
from the great masterpieces of literature. The speaker will know that he
can make his own words glow and vibrate, after he has first tested and
trained himself in some such manner as this. Furthermore, by thus
fitting words to his mouth, and assimilating the feelings of others, he
will immeasurably gain in facility and vocal responsiveness when he
attempts to utter his own thoughts.
Music is a powerful element in awakening emotion in the speaker and
bringing to consciousness the mysterious inner voices of the soul. The
minister should not only hear good music as often as possible, but he
should train his ear to recognize the rhythm and melody in speech.
For the fullest development of this spiritual power in the public
speaker there should be frequent periods of stillness and silence. One
must listen much in order to accumulate much. Thought and feeling
require time in which to grow. In this way the myriad sounds that arise
from humanity and from nature can be caught up in the soul of the
speaker and subsequently voiced by him to others.
The habit of meditating much, of brooding over thought, whether it be
our own or that of others, will tend to disclose new and deeper
meanings, and consequently deeper shades and depths of feeling. The
speaker will diligently search for unwritten meanings in words; he will
study, whenever possible, masterpieces of painting and sculpture; he
will closely observe the natural feeling of well-bred children, as shown
in their conversation; and in many other ways that will suggest
themselves, he will daily develop his emotional and spiritual powers of
expression.
The science of preaching is important, but so, too, is the art of
preaching. A powerful pulpit is one of the needs of the times. A
congregation readily recognizes a preacher of strong convictions, broad
sympathies, and consecrated personality. An affectionate nature in a
minister, manifesting itself in voice, face, and manner, will attract
and influence men, while a harsh, rigid, vehement manner will as easily
repel them.
It is to be feared that many sermons are written with too much regard
for "literary deportment on paper," and too little thought of their
value as pulsating messages to men.
The preacher should train himself to take tight hold of his thought, to
grip it with mental firmness and fervor, that he may afterward convey it
to others with definiteness and vigor. Thoughts vaguely conceived and
held tremblingly in the mind will manifest a like character when
uttered. Into the writing of the sermon put vitality and intensity, and
these qualities will find their natural place in delivery. Thrill of the
pen should precede thrill of the voice. The habit of Dickens of acting
out the characters he was depicting on paper could be copied to
advantage by the preacher, and frequently during the writing of his
sermon he might stand and utter his thoughts aloud to test their power
and effectiveness upon an imaginary congregation.
There should be the most thorough cultivation of the inner sources of
the preacher, whereby the spiritual and emotional forces are so aroused
and brought under control as to respond promptly and accurately to all
the speaker's requirements. There should be assiduous training of the
speaking voice as the instrument of expression and the natural outlet
for thought and feeling. In the combined cultivation of these two
essentials of expression--spirit and voice--the minister will find the
true secret of effective pulpit preaching.
CARE OF THE SPEAKER'S THROAT
The throat as a vital part of the public speaker's work in speaking is
worthy of the greatest care and consideration. It is surprising that so
little attention is given to vocal hygiene, when it is remembered that a
serious weakness or affection of the throat may disqualify a speaker for
important work. The delicate and intricate machinery of the vocal
apparatus renders it peculiarly susceptible to misuse or exposure. The
common defects of nasality, throatiness, and harshness, are due to wrong
and careless use of the speaking-instrument.
In the training of the public speaker the first step is to bring the
breathing apparatus under proper control. That is to say, the speaker
must accustom himself, through careful practise, to use the abdominal
method of breathing, and to keep his throat free from the strain to
which it is commonly subjected. This form of breathing is not difficult
to acquire, since it simply means that during inhalation the abdomen is
expanded, and during exhalation it is contracted. It should be no longer
necessary to warn the speaker to breathe exclusively through the nose
when not actually using the voice. While speaking he must so completely
control the breath that not a particle of it can escape without giving
up its equivalent in sound.
"Clergyman's sore throat" is the result of improper use or overstraining
of the voice. Sometimes the earnestness of the preacher causes him to
"clutch" each word with the vocal muscles, instead of using the throat
as an open channel through which the voice may flow with ease and
freedom. Many speakers, in an endeavor to be heard at a great distance,
employ too loud a tone, forgetting that the essential thing is a clear
and distinct articulation. To speak continuously in high pitch, or
through half-closed teeth, almost invariably causes distress of throat.
Most throat troubles may be set down to a lack of proper elocutionary
training. To keep the voice and throat in order there should be regular
daily practise, if only for ten minutes. The example might profitably
be followed of certain actors who make a practise of humming
occasionally during the day while engaged in other duties, as a means of
keeping the voice musical and resonant.
When the throat becomes husky or weak it is a timely warning from nature
that it needs rest and relaxation. To continue to engage in public
speaking under these circumstances is often attended with great danger,
resulting sometimes in total loss of voice. It is economy in the end to
discontinue the use of the voice when there is a serious cold or the
throat is otherwise affected. Nervousness, anxiety, or unusual mental
exertion may cause a vocal breakdown. For this condition rest is
recommended, together with gentle massaging of the throat with cold
water mixed with a little vinegar or _eau de Cologne_.
A public speaker should not engage in protracted conversation
immediately after a speech. The sudden transition from an auditorium to
the outer air should remind the speaker to keep his mouth securely
closed. The general physical condition of the speaker has much to do
with the vigor and clearness of his voice. A daily plunge into cold
water, or at least a sponging of the entire surface of the body, besides
being a tonic luxury, greatly invigorates the throat and abdominal
muscles. After the "tub" a vigorous rubbing with towel and hands should
produce a glow.
To the frequent question whether smoking is injurious to the throat, it
is safe to say that the weight of authority and experience favors
abstinence. Any one who has spoken for half an hour or more in a
smoke-clouded room, knows the distressing effect it has had upon the
sensitive lining of the throat. It must be obvious, therefore, that the
constant inhaling of smoke must even more directly irritate the mucous
membrane.
The diet of the public speaker should be reasonably moderate, and the
extremes of hot and cold avoided. The use of ice-water is to be
discouraged. Many drugs and lozenges are positively injurious to the
throat. For habitual dryness of throat a glycerine or honey tablet will
usually obviate the trouble. Dr. Morell Mackenzie, the eminent English
throat specialist, condemns the use of alcohol as pernicious, and
affirms that "even in a comparatively mild form it keeps the delicate
tissues in a state of congestion which makes them particularly liable to
inflammation from cold or other causes."
It must not be assumed that the throat is to be pampered. A reasonable
amount of exposure will harden it and to this extent is desirable. To
muffle the throat with a scarf, unless demanded by special conditions,
may make it unduly sensitive and increase the danger of taking cold when
the head is turned from side to side.
A leading physician confirms the opinion that the best gargle for daily
use is that of warm water and salt. This should be used every night and
morning to cleanse and invigorate the throat. Where there is a tendency
to catarrh a solution made of peroxide of hydrogen, witch-hazel, and
water, in equal parts, will prove efficacious. Nothing should be snuffed
up the nose except under the direction of a physician, lest it cause
deafness.
Many speakers and singers have a favorite nostrum for improving the
voice. The long and amusing list includes hot milk, tea, coffee,
champagne, raw eggs, lemonade, apples, raisins,--and sardines! A good
rule is to eat sparingly if the meal is taken just before speaking. It
need hardly be said that serious vocal defects, such as enlarged
tonsils, elongated uvula, and abnormal growths in the throat and nose
are subjects for the specialist.
Whenever possible a speaker should test beforehand the acoustic
properties of the auditorium in which he is to speak for the first time.
A helpful plan is to have a friend seat himself at the back of the hall
or church, and give his opinion of the quality and projecting power of
the speaker's voice. It is difficult to judge one's own voice because it
is conveyed to him not only from the outside but also through the
Eustachian tube and modified by the vibratory parts of the throat and
head. A speaker never hears his own voice as it is heard by another.
Nothing, perhaps, is so taxing to the throat as long-continued speaking
in one quality of tone. There are two distinct registers which should be
judiciously alternated by the speaker. These are the "chest" register,
in which the vocal cords vibrate their whole length, and the quality of
tone derives most of its character from the chest cavity; and the "head"
register, in which the vocal cords vibrate only in part, and the quality
of tone is reenforced by the resonators of the face, mouth, and head.
The first of these registers is sometimes called the "orotund" voice
from its quality of roundness, and is employed principally in language
of reverence, sublimity, and grandeur.
The head tone is the voice of ordinary conversation and should form the
basis of the public-speaking style.
No one who has to speak in public should be discouraged because of
limited vocal resources. Many of the foremost orators began with marked
disadvantages in this respect, but made these shortcomings an incentive
to higher effort. One well-known speaker makes up for lack of vocal
power by extreme distinctness of enunciation, while another offsets an
unpleasantly heavy quality of voice by skilful modulation.
A few easily remembered suggestions are:
1. Rest the voice for an hour or two before speaking in public.
2. Gargle the throat night and morning with salt and water.
3. Never force the voice.
4. Avoid all occasions that strain the voice, such as prolonged
conversation, speaking against noise, or in cold and damp air.
5. Practise deep breathing until it becomes an unconscious habit.
6. Favor an outdoor life.
7. Hum or sing a little every day.
8. Discontinue public speaking when there is a severe cold or other
affection of the throat.
9. Rest the voice and body immediately after speaking in public.
DON'TS FOR PUBLIC SPEAKERS
Don't rant.
Don't prate.
Don't fidget.
Don't flatter.
Don't declaim.
Don't be glib.
Don't hesitate.
Don't be nasal.
Don't apologize.
Don't dogmatize.
Don't be slangy.
Don't antagonize.
Don't be awkward.
Don't be violent.
Don't be personal.
Don't be "funny."
Don't attitudinize.
Don't be monotonous.
Don't speak rapidly.
Don't sway your body.
Don't be long-winded.
Don't "hem" and "haw."
Don't praise yourself.
Don't overgesticulate.
Don't pace the platform.
Don't clear your throat.
Don't "point with pride."
Don't tell a long story.
Don't rise on your toes.
Don't distort your words.
Don't stand like a statue.
Don't address the ceiling.
Don't speak in a high key.
Don't emphasize everything.
Don't drink while speaking.
Don't fatigue your audience.
Don't exceed your time limit.
Don't talk for talking's sake.
Don't wander from your subject.
Don't fumble with your clothes.
Don't speak through closed teeth.
Don't put your hands on your hips.
Don't fail to stop when you have ended.
DO'S FOR PUBLIC SPEAKERS
Be prepared.
Begin slowly.
Be modest.
Speak distinctly.
Address all your hearers.
Be uniformly courteous.
Prune your sentences.
Cultivate mental alertness.
Conceal your method.
Be scrupulously clear.
Feel sure of yourself.
Look your audience in the eyes.
Be direct.
Favor your deep tones.
Speak deliberately.
Get to your facts.
Be earnest.
Observe your pauses.
Suit the action to the word.
Be yourself at your best.
Speak fluently.
Use your abdominal muscles.
Make yourself interesting.
Be conversational.
Conciliate your opponent.
Rouse yourself.
Be logical.
Have your wits about you.
Be considerate.
Open your mouth.
Speak authoritatively.
Cultivate sincerity.
Cultivate brevity.
Cultivate tact.
End swiftly.
POINTS FOR SPEAKERS
As far as possible avoid the following hackneyed phrases:
I rise with diffidence
Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking
By a happy stroke of fate
It becomes my painful duty
In the last analysis
I am encouraged to go on
I point with pride
On the other hand (with gesture)
I hold
The vox populi
Be that as it may
I shall not detain you
As the hour is growing late
Believe me
We view with alarm
As I was about to tell you
The happiest day of my life
It falls to my lot
I can say no more
In the fluff and bloom
I can only hint
I can say nothing
I cannot find words
The fact is
To my mind
I cannot sufficiently do justice
I fear
All I can say is
I shall not inflict a speech on you
Far be it from me
Rise phoenix-like from his ashes
But alas!
What more can I say?
At this late period of the evening
It is hardly necessary to say
I cannot allow the opportunity to pass
For, mark you
I have already taken up too much time
I might talk to you for hours
Looking back upon my childhood
We can imagine the scene
I haven't the time nor ability
Ah, no, dear friends
One more word and I have done
I will now conclude
I really must stop
I have done.
THE BIBLE ON SPEECH
How forcible are right words!
To every thing there is a season, a time to keep silence, and a time to
speak.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which
is good to the use of edifying.
Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may
know how ye ought to answer every man.
Be ye holy in all manner of conversation.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking,
be put away from you.
Know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable
in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
THOUGHTS ON TALKING