448 SOME OF THE REASONS WHY A PUBLIC SPEAKER IS NOT SUCCESSFUL. The art of correct and impressive speaking embraces elocution, oratory, eloquence, rhetoric, emotion, feeling, agitation, and logic, or the power of demonstration. Elocution is the correct method of giving utterance to a connected discourse, either long or brief, before an audience, accompanied with appropriate gestures. Oratory is the highest degree of elocution, and is the art of presenting a subject in its most effective and eloquent manner. Eloquence is the expression of a great degree of emotion, whether pleasurable or sad, with such earnestness and skill as to excite a similar emotion in the breasts of the audience. With fervency and fluency it utters the most elevating thoughts in the choicest language, and with the most appropriate. and graceful movements of the entire physical organ ization. Rhetoric is the art of framing correct, forceful and elegant most varied and strongest emotions of human nature without experiencing them. Emotion, Feeling, and Agitation are varying results of true oratory, and are produced by the eloquence of the speaker. Emotion is a mental ex citement, inducing pity, grief, fear, joy, enthu siasm, or other natural passions. Feeling applies to a sympathetic condition of either mind or body, and is manifested with less excitement than emotion. Agitation is the violence of intense excitement, arising from phy sical or mental disorder. Disadvantages in Public Speaking. HE above illustration shows the following unfavorable conditions for the speaker. 1. If in the day-time, the light in the hall, coming wholly from windows in the rear of the speaker, throws a shadow whereby his face cannot be seen. 2. If in the night, the unshaded lights, in the vicinity of the speaker, upon which the audience are compelled to look, will pain the eyes and divert attention of the hearers. 3. The disordered condition of maps, pictures, etc., upon the wall will annoy and hold the attention of some auditors who have large order and are keenly sensitive to disorder. 4. The holding of the manuscript by the speaker, in front of his face, will break the magnetic connection between sentences, either in writing or speaking, and these may, on the lips of an acknowledged orator, supply the place of genuine emotion. Rhetoric may thus become an artificial eloquence, conveying powerful sentiments which the speaker may not feel in his heart. A true actor on the stage, or platform, may become so perfect in the rhetoric of his performance as to represent the himself and hearers, and then the audi ence will become listless and inattentive. 5. The balustrade and table in front of the speaker prevent the effect that may be exerted upon an audience by gesture and posture of the lower limbs. 6. The seating of a small audience in the rear of a hall gives an empty appearance to the room, alike depress ing to speaker and hearers. 7. The scattering of an audience apart breaks magnetic conditions that are favorable to a speaker when the audience is seated closely together and near the platform. Logic is the art of reasoning sys tematically upon any subject, and embraces its cause. progress and effect. "Pure logic" is the formal expression, governed by general rules, of any idea that may present itself. "Applied logic" is the appl cation of this method and these rules ACCESSORIES THAT ARE OF ASSISTANCE TO THE PUBLIC SPEAKER. reproach, or severe accusation against individuals, the acts of public bodies, or of governments; philosophic addresses, etc. The Deliberative, which includes debates on subjects of national or district importance, in the halls of legislation or other public places, educational or moral lectures, etc. The Judicial, which relates to the oratory of the courts of justice, where cases are pleaded or defended under the rules of current law practice. All of these classes admit of the purest and most brilliant elocutionary efforts. Aristotle also classified rhetoric into three distinct parts-persuasion, expression, and arrangement. In persuasion, the orator presents him 449 In Oratory, the features and the hands perform an important part, introducing illustrations of the topic under discussion, emphasizing the language as it varies "From grave to gay, from lively to severe," and vividly depicting each emotion or passion as it is indicated by the tongue. Conditions Favorable for the Public Speaker. HE following arrangements in a hall favor the speaker, who would have the best conditions by which he may 1. The stand used for manuscript should occupy as little room upon the platform as possible. 2. All lights in the vicinity of the speaker, or upon the platform, should be so shaded that the audience cannot see them. self, his motives, have influence with an audience. and the object of his discourse, in a persuasive attitude, with the design of obtaining the confidence of his hearers. In expression he treats to manuscript, if thoroughly converof the arguments to be advanced in support of his object, and in this division he exemplifies the use of logic as a means of making his arguments clear and strengthening them. In arrangement, he teaches the proper method of presenting the argument, arranging propositions in the most effective manner, delivering them in appropriate language, and enforcing them with suitable and impressive gestures. 3. If convenient, the auditors upon the platform should be so seated that the speaker can occasionally turn and address them also. 4. The less the speaker is confined sant with the subject, the better will be the effect of his speech with the audience. 5. The speaker should be carefully and well dressed, but not in the extreme of fashion. A Prince Albert or dress-coat becomes the platform speaker who would appear to the best advantage before a fashionable audience. 6. The front part of the platform should have nothing upon it that can obstruct the view of the entire figure of the speaker. The position of the feet and lower part of the body frequently have much to do in enforcing an idea when accompanied by suitable words. 7. A large audience, a congregation well dressed, a handsomely furnished hall, an audience composed of the most respectable and influential in the community, and who give close attentionall these are favoring conditions, cal True oratory springs from the impulses of the inner life as affected by outward circumstances, and the true orator is 66 a man terribly in earnest." Such a speaker needs no manuscript to aid him in his discourse. Observe the impassioned eloquence of Patrick Henry, on the eve of the American Revolutionary war: "There is no retreat but in submission and slavery. Our chains are forged ! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston...The next gale that sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! ...I know not what course others may take; but for me,-give me liberty, or give me death!" That was nat as culated to assist the public speaker in ural oratory, and no studied compo making a good impression. sition could carry with it the eloquence and power of these few simple sentences. The man who is confined to his manuscript composition on the platform is not an orator-he is only a reader. In this respect he lacks freedom of gesture, and is unable to face his audience and allow them to see the varying emotions caused by his subject reflected in his features. 450 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMBARRASSMENT AND SELF-POSSESSION. How differently does the true orator appear! Untrammeled on the platform by papers, he stands before his audience in the dignity of human nature, every feature enlivened by the thoughts that fill his brain, a clear, ringing voice to give them expression, and body and limbs all alive with harmonious and touching gestures. Such a man is a power in the land, for good or evil, swaying the masses, pleading the cause he advocates with earnestness, fidelity and eloquence, and leaving the impress of his intellect upon the minds and hearts of his hearers. The distinguishing mechanical features of a finished address are distinct articulation, inflections, accent, emphasis, modulation and gesture. Articulation is the art of using the vocal organs, including the teeth, with such ease and perfection that every portion of a word or sentence is distinctly uttered, every vowel and consonant fully pronounced, and no words or letters clipped off, as it were, or omitted from any sentence. Fig. 1-Bashfulness. The above illustrations represent the effect of practice and culture. While speaker No. 1, by his unpolished manner and diffidence, is an object of pity or ridicule, as a public Beginners, especially children, in their haste to get through a sentence, when "speaking a piece," often do this in a very ridiculous manner, but no finished orator is guilty of the practice. In the sentence, "He could pay nobody," the words, by careless speaking become, "He could pain nobody. "He could pain nobody." This example will serve to show the necessity of a clear enunciation of every word and syllable, lest the entire passage be changed and its sense destroyed. Inflection is a slide, or a change of the voice. The monotone is devoid of any rising or falling changes; hence the term "monotonous" is ap plied to a continuous flow of words in a single tone of voice. Still, the monotone, as the expression of great sublimity of thought, is sometimes used by the best orators and readers. While it may serve to express earnestness, it does not convey the idea of deep emotion. The rising inflection may start a sentence with a monotone, but becomes louder and more significant as it proceeds. It is strongly marked in the asking of a question, as: "Where were you yesterday?"-throwing the emphasis on "yesterday," with a gradual raising of the voice. The falling inflection begins with a high tone of voice and ends the sentence in a moderate one; for example: "Yesterday I stayed at home," answering the question and emphasizing "yester day," also, because that word covered the principal object in asking the question. The circumflex tone begins with the falling inflection and ends with the rising one, as: "I went out yesterday, but I stay here to-day,"—“to day" elevated. The word or in the sentence: "Will you stay -or go?"-throws the rising inflection on "stay," and the falling on "go." Fig. 2-Self-possession. speaker, No. 2, representing a wellknown orator, as he apostrophizes a glass of water, entrances his audience by his self-possession, his earnestness, and his naturalness. In the negative sentence: "Study not for reereation, but for instruction," the rising inflection is on the affirmative, "instruction," while "recreation" has the falling tone. Affection or tender emotion requires the rising inflection, coupled with softness: "Then spake the father, Come hither, my child." These inflections enter into all the expressions of the human voice, ever varying, according to the sentiment to be promulgated. Nature teaches IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS TO THOSE WHO WOULD SPEAK WELL. 451 them and frames their utterances, while art acquires and simulates them on the stage, on the platform, in the pulpit, in the halls of legislation, or in the legal tribunal. Accent is a peculiar force of the voice displayed in the pronunciation of a particular syllable in a word, or a particular word in a sentence, to make it more effective. A variety of English words have two or more accentuations. Thus the word "ac-cent," in the sense here used, has the accent on the first syllable "ac"; but if we say that such a word should be accented, the "cent" is most strongly pronounced. Emphasis is a stronger expression given to the utterance of a word or sentence, for the purpose of impressing it upon the mind, than can be given by inflection or accent alone; requiring elevation of tone, indicating either earnestness or emotion, or calling attention to some peculiarity of thought or argument advanced by the speaker. In writing, the emphasized word is usually underscored; in type, it is put in italic letters. Modulation is the natural or acquired melodious form of utterance to suit the sentiment with musical precision. Indeed, modulation is a feature of music as well as of elocution, giving sweetness of tone and variation to the voice. It combines articulation, inflection, accent and emphasis, and enriches the entire discourse with harmony of expression. Gesture is any natural movement of the limbs or body that indicates the character of the prevailing feeling or emotion of the heart. It appeals at once to our sympathies with far greater eloquence than words, and when combined with oratory makes the latter more effective. Without proper gestures, an orator loses much of his power to control the thoughts and opinions of his auditors; they add to the earnestness of his expressions, increasing his eloquence, and carrying conviction with every proposition advanced. In real oratory the eye speaks as well as the lips; the motions of the arms, and hands, and head, and body, are all brought into subjection to the dominant argument, and the grace and dignity of the human form are exhibited in all their brilliancy. "Hamlet's" advice to the players "Suit the word to the action, and the action to the word," is worth heeding. A downward movement of the arm or hand at a rising inflection would be but a burlesque. Volume is the character of the voice as determined by the utterance of various emotions, in which the throat expands or contracts, producing whispers, wailings, etc., and is expressive of the inward emotion, whatever it may be. Time is a slight pause made by the speaker, with the design of giving an opportunity to consider the importance of the word or phrase to which he would call specific attention. Pitch represents the proper elevation of the voice, and its use in elocution is to regulate the tone of the discourse to its character. If not regarded as it should be, the delivery becomes faulty and disagreeable. Force applies to the energy which is given to certain words and phrases, as expressive of the earnestness with which they should be received. It is mental emphasis, laying stress, in degrees, upon whatever is uttered. Avoid talking through the nose and getting into a sing-song strain of delivery. Do not take the other extreme and become too grand in language for the subject. Speak of common things naturally, distinctly and intelligently. Do not use great, swelling words, chosen from the dictionary, for the sake of "showing off." The Anglo-Saxon tongue is filled with short, expressive words-words of one or two syllables, that point a sentence with wit and eloquence better than a flow of dissyllables. Pitch the tone of voice no higher than is necessary to reach the ears of the person farthest from you in the audience, but be sure that it reaches its limit without losing its distinctness. In this lay one of the strongest features of the eloquence of the lamented Wendell Phillips. Oratory should express in the features, the position of the body, and the movements of the head and limbs, the emotions which govern the utterances of the speaker, as indicated in the figures, explanations and examples which follow: themselves upon ALL the muscles of the features, limbs the stage much attention, because of their faithful rendition of character. Following these fourteen illustra tions, representing the Professor in various attitudes, are twelve representations by Miss Mamie T. Short, of Chicago, a pupil of Professor Lyman's. and body are relaxed; the eyes as. sumne a mild and quiet expression; the brow is expanded and unwrinkled; the arms and hands hang idly by the side; one foot is slightly advanced, but the body rests lightly upon both; the voice is natural and cheerful, as illustrated in the following example: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-In com pliance with the request of the publish ers of this work, I herewith submit to you the following illustrations as representations of the gesture, posture and facial expression, indicative of the emotion, thought, or sentiment, which may stir the heart under varying cir cumstances. The highest degree of power by the orator is attained when burning words, born of the time and appropriate to the occasion, are accompanied by natural and graceful gesture. Much care has been taken in the production of these illustrations to truthfully represent natural posture, and a correct, clearly defined expression of the face, when actuated by passion, sentiment, or emotion. To the multitude of students in the field of elocutionary study, these examples from life will be invalu ble as giving need ed instruction in this important art An interesting study is found in the contrasts of the Weeping-Violent Grief. HE head droops, inclining to one side; the eyes overflow with tears; the lips and countenance are drawn downward; the body inclines forward; the hands are wrung; the lower limbs are relaxed and retiring; the move ments are slow, and the voice low, un less the grief is excessive, and the breath comes and goes with agitation, broken by moans and sobs. EXAMPLE" Oh, my sorrow is more than I can bear! appearance of the individual whe representing these various sentiments and emotions. While Dignity expresses manl in its self-possesse and energeticmo Fear cringes and shrinks, and tre bles, and the tw serve to show the effect of inward emotions upon the outer man. Exper tation displays eagerness, hope and forwardness of p pose, while Hor |