PERSONATION.
Personation is the representation, by a single reader or speaker, of the
words, manners, and actions of one or several persons. The change of voice
in personation in public reading is of great importance, but is generally
overlooked, or but little practiced.
The student must practice assiduously upon such pieces as require
Personation in connection with narrative and descriptive sentences, and he
must use the Time, Pitch, Force, and Gesture, which are appropriate to the
expression of the required thought. For example, if it be the words uttered
by a dying child, the Pitch will be low, Pure Voice, slightly Tremor, Time
slow, with a pause between the narrative and the quoted words of the child,
these last being given very softly and hesitatingly.
1.
"Tell father, when he comes from work, I said goodnight to him; and mother
--now-I'll-go-to-sleep."
The last words very soft, and hesitating utterance.
Before this example, is another in the same selection, not quite so marked,
which we give from the third verse. She gets her answer from the child;
softly fall the words from him--
"Mother, the angels do so smile, and beckon little Jim! I have no pain,
dear mother, now,--but oh, I am so dry! Just moisten poor Jim's lips again
--and, mother, don't you cry." With gentle, trembling haste, she held the
liquid to his lips,----
That which is quoted is supposed to be uttered by the dying child, and can
not be given effectively without the changes in voice, etc., referred to
above.
If, however, the climax of the narrative is a battle scene, and the
Personation represents an officer giving a command, then a most marked
change must be made in the voice between the narrative and the personation,
which demands Full Force, Quick Time, High Pitch, and Orotund Quality, and
the narrative portion will commence with Moderate Pitch and Time
(increasing), and Medium Force.
1.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
'Charge for the guns!' he said,
Into the valley of death
Rode the Six Hundred."
2.
(_desc_.) And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people:
(_per_.) "Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so
earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness, we had made this
man to walk?" etc.
To read the Bible acceptably in public, requires the application of every
principle in elocution; for nowhere is Expression so richly rewarded, as in
the pronunciation of the sacred text. The Descriptive and Personation
should be so distinctly marked, that the attention will be at once
attracted to the different styles, and the meaning understood.
EXPRESSION.
The study of Expression is one of the most important parts of elocution, as
it is the application of all the principles that form the science of
utterance. It is the ART of elocution. Expression then should be the chief
characteristic of all public reading and speaking. The student must forget
self, and throw himself entirely into the spirit of what he reads, for the
art of feeling is the true art which leads to a just expression of the
features:
"To this one standard make you just appeal,
Here lies the golden secret, learn to _feel_."
The voice under the influence of feeling, gives the beautiful colouring,
and breathes life and reality to the mental picture. Every turn in the
current of feeling should be carefully observed and fully expressed. Not
only the varied changes of the voice, however, but the indications by all
the features of the countenance, contribute a share to give a good
expression, and by far the greatest is derived from the eyes. The
management of the eyes is, therefore, the most important of all--
"A single look more marks the eternal woe,
Than all the windings of the lengthened, oh!
Up to the face the quick sensation flies,
And darts its meaning from the speaking eyes;
Love, transport, madness, anger, scorn, despair,
And all the passions, all the soul is there."
The eye of the orator, and the expressive movements of the muscles of his
face, often _tell_ more than his words, his body or his hands, and
when the eye is lighted up and glowing with meaning and intelligence, and
frequently and properly directed to the person or persons addressed, it
tends greatly to rivet the attention, and deepen the interest of the
hearer, as well as to heighten the effect, and enforce the importance of
the sentiments delivered. To the eyes belong the effusion of tears, and to
give way to this proof of feeling should not be called a mark of weakness,
but rather a proof of sensibility, which is the test of sincerity.
Next to the eyes, the mouth is the most expressive part of the countenance.
"The Mouth," says Cresallius, "is the vestibule of the soul, the door of
eloquence, and the place in which the thoughts hold their highest debates."
It is the seat of grace and sweetness; smiles and good temper play around
it; composure calms it; and discretion keeps the door of its lips. Every
bad habit defaces the soft beauty of the mouth, and leaves indelible traces
of its injury, they should, therefore, be carefully avoided. The motion of
the lips should be moderate, to moisten them by thrusting the tongue
between them is very disagreeable, and biting the lips is equally
unbecoming. We should speak with the mouth, more than with the lips.
Unless the pupil is very careful, he will find some difficulty in keeping
the mouth sufficiently wide open, he will gradually close the mouth until
the teeth are brought nearly together, before the sound is finished, the
inevitable consequence of which is a smothered, imperfect and lifeless
utterance of the syllable or word. A good opening of the mouth is
absolutely indispensable in giving the voice the full effect of round,
smooth and agreeable tone.
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