The American Union SpeakerPhilbrick, John D. (John Dudley)
General
The American Union Speaker
Philbrick, John D. (John Dudley)
Recitations
"In the rhetorical actions of the hand, the happy medium ought to be
observed; for the action of the hand should be full of dignity and
magnanimous resolution, making it a liberal index of the mind." A French
writer admirably remarks that we should move the arms because we are
animated, but not try to appear animated by moving the arms.
The countenance, especially the eye, should be made to speak as well as the
tongue. It is said of Chatham, that such was the power of his eye, that he
very often cowed down an antagonist in the midst of his speech, and threw
him into confusion. It is through the eye, scarcely less than through the
tones of voice, that intercourse of soul is carried on between the speaker
and hearers. To secure this intercourse the speaker should let his soul
beam from his eye. Nor should he fail to look at his hearers, if he would
have his hearers look at him. Among the faults to be avoided in the
management of the eye, Dr. Porter notices particularly that unmeaning look
which the eye "bent on vacuity" has, resembling the inexpressive glare of
the glass eye of a wax figure; that indefinite sweep of the eye which
ranges from one side to the other of an assembly, resting nowhere; and
that tremulous, roving cast of the eye, and winking of the eyelid, which
is in direct contrast to an open, collected, manly expression of the face.
Among the faults of action to be noticed are:--1. Want of action; 2. Want
of expression of countenance; 3. A stiff, or a careless, attitude; 4. Want
of appropriateness; 5. Excess of motions of the hands and arms; 6. Too
great violence of action; 7. Too great complexity; 8. A mechanical
uniformity; 9. Tardiness, the action following the utterances when it
should accompany it, or slightly precede it.
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