Select recitations, orations, and dramatic scenes, with actions and emphasis

Front matter

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Introduction

GENERAL HINTS ON READING AND RECITING.

THE advantages evolving from the study and practice of elocution even for those who are not destined for the life of a public speaker are too numerous and valuable to be overlooked.

Until quite recently our academies, high schools and colleges did not pay the requisite attention to this essential branch of art. Now, realizing the benefits, physical, useful and ornamental, accruing to the pupil from the study of the above as well as the aid which it furnishes to other kindred studies in the curriculum, a certain allotted time, weekly, is spent in the memorization and recital of prose and poetical selections taken frequently from the standard English and American classics.

Attention is paid more particularly to the proper interpretation of the author's lines. Emphasis, which helps to bring so forcibly before the auditor's attention the meaning of the author — Inflection, which by the sliding of the voice upward and downward breaks up the monotony of the reading, once so painfully prevalent, and rendering the result agreeable to the ear — the invaluable benefit of Pauses— the accuracy and distinctness of Enunciation and the proper placing of the Accent on words — these form essential adjuncts in the education of every student.

The practice necessary to obtain ease, grace and effectiveness in posture, expression and gesture, in conjunction with an advance toward vocal perfection, tend to make a completeness which all aspiring reciters should wish to attain.

It is frequently asked by the pupil how he should begin the study of a recitation. Our advice is this: having made a choice in accordance with his years and scholastic attainments he should read the same carefully, with concentration of mind from the beginning to the end, in order to gain a comprehensive insight of the author's meaning.

If words be found therein of whose meaning he is doubtful, these should be looked up in the dictionary. Read the selection through once more and aloud in a clear, firm voice, attending strictly to the grammatical pauses.

Find out the emphatic words in the recurring sentences, as to these is attached the greatest value.

VHI INTRODUCTION.

Endeavor to grasp the spirit of the piece and strive to feel its full significance.

This preliminary work should be done before committing the words to memory.

The recitation should be learned Verbatim; no omissions or interpolations should be made by the pupil without the advice of the teacher or a proper guide. He should study faithfully to perfect the details of his work and a commensurate success will be the reward.

The student in oratorical descriptive and strictly declamatory selections should possess a natural, dignified and impressive carriage ; the head gracefully poised, the breast well thrown out, the feet not separated too much, whilst maintaining throughout in his bearing a well-bred and respectful attitude toward the audience.

However, the most perfectly elaborated recitation given under the best possible circumstances — the voice, diction and orthoepedical conditions being manifestly cared for, will be greatly marred by the absence of well-regulated and appropriate ACTION.

The ancient Greeks thought so much of action, that they spent years in the practice of gesture, posings, expressions and the like.

The lecturer reading from his manuscript, the college essayist giving his well-prepared thoughts, logically arranged and transcribed to paper, will be listened to in many cases with but divided attention or mayhap not at all; and this due to the fact, chiefly, that action is wanted and audiences demand it.

The object of this work is to bring before the student the strict mechanism of gesticulation or general action.

The explanations for making of the gestures in the following recitations will be briefly given at the end of the different pieces.

Our object is to make the work as easy and attractive for the pupil as is possible. He frequently forgets the gestures and expressions orally explained by the instructor; or otherwise, in preparing a recitation by his own unaided efforts, he is frequently at a loss what to do.

When, finally, ease is acquired through this mechanical practice, grace of action, flexibility and variety of movement will follow.

The mind of the pupil will associate certain gestures and facial expressions with the certain passionate and emotional passages found in the text.

The object of this work is not to make the pupil an automaton, but to aid him over the difficulties which usually beset the path of the young aspirant to recitative fame.

The extracts found in this book have been selected with some care, with attention paid to their fitness and the elevating and entertaining matter contained in them, also their literary worth. Let us hope the one hundred selections contained in this volume may be found available and useful.

C. J. Birbeck.

Part I.— POETRY

NO. PAGE

1. The Brave Fireman 11

2. Don't Give Up the Ship. ... 14

3. Let's Try to Do the Right,

Boys 15

4. There's Room, for You up

Higher 16

5. The Death Ride 18

6. The Will and the Way 22

7. The Lesson of the Mill 24

8. Curfew Must Not Ring To-

night 26

9. The Song of the Sword 29

11. The Singing of the Mag-

nificat 36

12. The Pride of Battery B 40

13. The Melancholy Hen 43

15. Nellie's Prayer 52

16. The Level Crossing 56

17. The Twins , 59

18. The Children 61

19. The Reaper and the Flowers 63

20. Footsteps of Angels 64

21. The Story of a Stowaway.. 65

22. The Main Truck ; or, A Leap

for Life 69

23. Auction Extraordinary 70

24. The Lifeboat 72

25. Lulu's Complaint 77

26. Press On. A Valedictory

Poem 78

27. Antony's Speech Over Cse-

sar's Body 79

28. The Same— Continued 81

29. The Drowned Mariner 82

30. Forgive and Forget 84

The Bridge of Sighs..

The Last Minstrel

The Soldier's Funeral.

The Gluttonous Duck.

The Exile of Erin

The Slave's Dream

. 91 . 93 . 96 . 98

The Wreck of the Hesperus, 100 The Last of the Red Men. .102

The Polish Exiles 105

The Mariner's Dream 106

The Old Clock on the Stairs. 109 The Progress of Madness. . . 110 The CoUier's Dying Child. .113

The Diver 121

Our Folks 125

Sheridan's Ride 127

Paul Revere's Ride 129

The Dream of the ReveUer . 132

Two Loves and a Life 135

The Country Squire 136

Rustic Logic 138

Ask Mamma ! 139

The Spirit of Contradiction . 142

The Spider and the Fly 144

The Slave Ship .... .146

Paddle Your Own Canoe . . 148

Somebody's Darling 150

Papa's Letter 151

The Unhappy Man 153

The Deserter 155

The Polish Boy 157

Adieux de Marie Stuart

(French) 160

Friede (German) 162

CONTENTS.