The new American speaker: a collection of oratorical and dramatical pieces, soliloquies and dialogues

Front matter

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Introduction

Science is taught by precept ; Art must be taught by example. Elocution is an art, and therefore cannot be learned from books.

No book can supersede the living teacher. Here, as in all art, Nature must be appealed to at every step ; there is no other or higher court to which to carry the decision.

The teacher by example can best stimulate the student to open his ear to the voice of Nature. A book such as this is only intended to stimulate and assist the consciousness of the student in the apprehension of Nature's dictates, and to serve the teacher with an efficient means of illustration.

It is a sign of narrowness and poverty of spirit, that the art of speaking is so poorly cultivated in most of our schools and colleges. It is but an imperfect preparation that they can give a man to enter society, without giving him the power of delivery of thought and feeling. The want of it makes the freeman afraid to exercise his rights, the thinker give way to the mere talker, the true statesman to the demagogue.

It makes poor, sniffling interlocutors, instead of bold and manly orators. It puts the province of governing in the hands of the shameless and the foolish, instead of those of the good and wise.

Let every youth be taught to speak ; those who have talent and virtue will have so much the advantage over the stupid and the vicious.

But health of body as well as of mind depend upon this. There is scarcely a muscle or organ in the body, that is not brought into free and healthful exercise by an energetic exertion in speaking.

Let any one study his experience in giving a loud and continuous sound, and he will find how complicated and great is the effort.

The knees are stiffened ; the muscles of the back erect the person to the utmost; the abdominal muscles are brought strongly into play ; the intercostal muscles expand the chest, and the lungs have the freest movement ; the circulation is quickened, and the whole man is roused to the centre of his living organism.

Can such an exercise be often resorted to without the greatest physical benefit?

VI INTRODUCTION.

Children would suffer infinitely less from the sedentary habits and confinement of school, if they were given exercises in a sort of vocal gymnastics several times a day, in the course of the other school exercises. Many would thus be saved from consumption, bronchitis, spinal affections, and the numerous diseases that are often traced to confinement at schools and academies.

There seems a general prejudice against subjecting girls at school to vocal exercises, which works much to their injury in this respect.

Calisthenics and vocal gymnastics should be as much a part of their training as that of boys ; but in a different spirit, and for a different purpose. It is certain they need it as much physically, and in another aspect they need it as much morally. For though they are not expected to become public orators, it is no reason that their souls should be shut up in a husky and sputtering speech, or in a trembling and weak voice. Modesty and delicacy have nothing to do with such things, and it is folly to suppose that the full and energetic development of the woman can lead to anything but to what is noble and beautiful.

Note. — The following movements, breathings and exercises of the voice suitable for the school-room, by expanding the chest, quickening the circulation, and imparting energy and pliancy to the respiratory and vocal organs, have considerable iise in developing the powers of elocution.

M O VEME NTS.

1st. Position erect, with arms a-kimbo. The head elevated, the shoulders back and down; place the hands upon the hips, then throw the elbows forcibly backward.

2d. Move the hands, after extending them downward by the sides, briskly up and down.

3d. Let the hands and arms be placed in a vertical position ; then drawn down and projected upward with force.

4th. Extend the arms horizontally forward, and move them back and forth quickly and with force.

5th. Place the arms horizontally forward with the palms of the hands together ; then throw them apart forcibly, bringing the back of the hands as nearly as possible behind the back.

6th. A variety of exercises in gestures descriptive or passionate, for the purpose of acquiring grace in movement. These the good taste and ingenuity of the teacher must suggest.

INTRODUCTION. Vll

BREATHINGS.

1st. Full breathing. — Place the arms and hands as required in the first movement ; slowly draw the breath until the chest is fully expanded ; emit it with the utmost slowness.

2d. Audible breathing. — Draw in the breath as in full breathing, and expire it audibly in a prolonged sound of the letter H.

3d. Forcible breathing. — Fill the lungs, and then let out the breath suddenly and forcibly in the manner of an abrupt and whispered cough.

4th. Sighing. — Fill suddenly the lungs with a full breath, and emit it as quickly as possible.

5th. Gasping. — With a convulsive effort inflate the lungs ; then send forth the breath more gently.

6th. Panting. — Breathe quickly and violently, making the emission of the breath loud and forcible.

THE VOICE.

For exercises of the voice, and especially in articulation,, the table of elementary sounds and the preliminary exercises should.be used daily and with a most assiduous practice.

USE OF THE TABLE.

1st. In a distinct and moderate utterance of all the sounds.

2d. In an explosive and forcible manner of making each sound.

3d. In the application of all the elements of Elocution, while producing the different sounds ; as, Emphasis, Inflection, Pitch, Force, Tone, (especially the orotund,) Movement, &c.

A chart of these elementary sounds ought to be hung up in every school-room, and made the subject of diligent practice for some time.

I proceed now to give a brief exposition of the principles of Elocution. I have purposely dwelt but little on this part, because I designed this book more as a manual of exercises, than as an elaborate treatise on the subject; and experience has taught me that multiplying rules and technical directions in an art that depends so much upon instinct, and nature brought into play by example, has the effect of "killing the spirit in the letter."