The Canadian Elocutionist | Page 3

pupil ease, grace,
and force of action than all the books and diagrams in the world. Action
is important to the orator, and changes of action must accord with the
language; the lower the language the slower should be the movements
and vice versa, observing Shakespeare's rule: "Suit the action to the
word, the word to the action, with this special observance--that you
o'erstep not the modesty of nature." Study repose, without it, both in
speech and action, the ears, eyes, and minds of the audience, and the
powers of the speaker are alike fatigued; follow nature, consider how
she teaches you to utter any sentiment or feeling of your heart. Whether
you speak in a private room or in a great assembly, remember that you
still speak, and speak naturally. Conventional tones and action have
been the ruin of delivery in the pulpit, the senate, at the bar, and on the
platform.
All public speaking, but especially acting and reciting, must be
heightened a little above ordinary nature, the pauses longer and more
frequent, the tones weightier, the action more forcible, and the
expression more highly coloured. Speaking from memory admits of the
application of every possible element of effectiveness, rhetorical and
elocutionary, and in the delivery of a few great actors the highest
excellence in this art has been exemplified. But speaking from memory
requires the most minute and careful study, as well as high elocutionary
ability, to guard the speaker against a merely mechanical utterance.
Read in the same manner you would speak, as if the matter were your
own original sentiments uttered directly from the heart. Action should
not be used in ordinary reading.
Endeavour to learn something from every one, either by imitating, but
not servilely, what is good, or avoiding what is bad. Before speaking in
public collect your thoughts and calm yourself, avoiding all hurry. Be
punctual with your audience, an apology for being late is the worst
prologue. Leave off before your hearers become tired, it is better for
you that they should think your speech too short than too long.

Let everything be carefully finished, well-polished, and perfect. Many
of the greatest effects in all arts have been the results of long and
patient study and hard work, however simple and spontaneous they
may have appeared to be.
Remember, that the highest art is to conceal art, that attention to trifles
makes perfection, and that perfection is no trifle.
CONTENTS
PART I.
I.--PHYSICAL CULTURE.
Calisthenics
Walking
Sitting
Kneeling
II.--BREATHING EXERCISES.
Directions for Breathing
III.--ARTICULATION.
Articulation
IV.--ELEMENTARY SOUNDS, ETC.
Elements
Pronunciation and Accent
V.--QUALITIES OF VOICE.
I. Pure
II. Orotund
III. Guttural
IV. Tremor
V. Aspirate
VI.
Falsetto
VI.--FORCE.
I. DEGREES.
I. Gentle
II. Moderate
III. Heavy
II. VARIATIONS OF FORCE, OR STRESS.
I. Radical
II.

Median
III. Vanishing
IV. Compound
V. Thorough
VI.
Semitone
VII. Monotone
VII.--TIME.
I. Moderate
II. Quick
III. Slow
VIII.--PITCH.
I. Middle
II. High
III. Low
IV. Transition
IX.--PAUSES, INFLECTIONS, ETC.
I. Rhetorical pause
II. Emphasis
III. Climax
IV. Inflection
V.
Circumflex or Wave
X.--PERSONATION.
I. Personation
II. Expression
XI.--GESTURE.
I. Position of the Hand
II. Direction
XII.--INTRODUCTION TO AUDIENCE.
I. Introduction
II. Advice to Students
XIII.--GENERAL EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE.
PART II.
SELECTIONS FOR READING.
A Child's First Impression of a Star... N. P. Willis.
A Legend of
Bregenz... Adelaide A. Procter.
A Modest Wit
A Prayer... James
Russell Lowett.
A Slip of the Tongue
A Tarryton Romance

Advice to a Young Lawyer... Story.
An Autumn Day... Bryant.
An

Order for a Picture... Alice Cary.
Ask Mamma... A. M. Bell.
Aunty
Doleful's Visit
Baby's Visitor
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

Bells Across the Snow... Frances Ridley Havergal.
Brutus on the
Death of Caesar... Shakespeare.
Calling a Boy in the Morning

Cataline's Defiance... Rev'd. George Croly.
Christ Turned and
Looked upon Peter... Elisabeth B. Browning. Cuddle Doon... Alexander
Andersen.
Curfew Must not Ring To-night
Dios Te Guarde

Domestic Love and Happiness... Thomson.
Drifting... T. Buchanan
Read.
Elizabeth... H. W. Longfellow.
Eve's Regrets on Quitting
Paradise... Milton.
Experience with European Guides... Mark Twain.

Fashionable Singing
First Experience
Gertrude of Wyoming...
Campell.
Ginevra... Rogers.
God, the True Source of Consolation...
Moore.
Good-Bye... Whyte Melville.
Guilty or Not Guilty
Hagar
in the Wilderness... N. P. Willis.
Hannah Binding Shoes... Lucy
Larcom.
Highland Mary... Burns.
Home Song... H. W. Longfellow.

How We Hunted a Mouse... Joshua Jenkins.
How Women say
Good-bye
I Remember, I Remember... T. Hood
I'll Take What
Father Takes... W. Boyle.
In School Days... Whittier.

Jimmy Butler
and the Owl
Keys... Bessie Chandler
King John... Shakespeare.

Landing of Columbus... Rogers.
Little Bennie... Annie G. Ketchum.

Little Mary's Wish... Mrs. L. M. Blinn.
Love in Idleness...
Shakespeare.
Makin' an Editor Outen 0' Him... Will. M. Carleton.

Malibran and the Young Musician
Marmion and Douglas... Sir W.
Scott.
Mary Maloney's Philosophy
Mary Stuart... Schiler.

Memory's Pictures... Alice Cary.
My Trundle Bed
Nay, I'll Stay
With the Lad... Lillie E. Barr.
Never Give Up
Niagara... John G. C.
Brainard.
No Kiss
Ocean... W. Wetherald.
On His Blindness...
Milton.
On the Miseries of Human Life... Thomson.
Only Sixteen

Oration Against Cataline... Cicero.
Over the Hill from the
Poor-House... Will M. Carleton.
Papa Can't Find Me
Passing
Away... Pierpont.
Paul's Defence before Agrippa... Bible.
Per
Pacem ad Lucem... Adelaide A. Procter.
Poor Little Joe... Peleg
Arkwright.
Poor Little Stephen Girard... Mark Twain.
Prayer...

Tennyson.
Reading the List
Reflections on the Tomb of
Shakespeare... Irving.
Rock of Ages... F. L. Stanton.
Roll Call

Romeo and Juliet... Shakespeare
Sandalphon... H.