SELECTIONS FOR DECLAMATION.

201. Before attempting to declaim, students should understand the following principles, and be able to apply them..

Elementary Principles of Time, Pitch and Force. In the degree in which ideas expressed are serious, grave, dignified and self-determined, time is slow, pitch low, and force full (§§ 140-145). In the degree in which ideas are light, gay, lively and uncontrolled, time is fast, pitch high, and force slight.

In ordinary Oratory, time is much slower, pitch about the same, and force much greater, than in conversation (§ 146).

Time is slower in all passages (§ 40), and the voice pauses in uttering all words (§ 35), that introduce into the general sense special importance, information or peculiarity.

Time is faster in all passages, and the voice slights all words, expressing what is insignificant, known, acknowledged or repetitious in statement or sequence.

Marks of punctuation do not always accompany nor indicate places for elocutionary pauses (§ 35).

Pitch. Falling Inflections (for decisive or positive ideas) are used with those words before pauses which positively affirm a fact, principle or belief, or emphatically point out an object or idea (in the speaker's opinion) important in itself, irrespective of further consideration. The Falling Inflection closes the sense (directing attention toward what has been said), as the period closes the sentence (§§ 43, 50, etc.).

152

Rising Inflections (for indecisive, negative, doubtful ideas) are used with words that express ideas in open contrast with positive ideas (and, in this sense, negative), or ideas whose importance, interest or certainty depends on something expressed in another part of the sentence or passage; hence, any ideas repeated, trite, acknowledged or insignificant, and most negative, conditional and interrogative clauses. But "not" and "if" are sometimes used to express positive ideas or facts, e. g. Thou shalt not stealIf ye know these things (as you do), etc. And a question may contain a statement equally positive, e. g. Isn't she beautiful? (§§ 43, 49–51).

Double or Circumflex Inflections (moving in two directions) emphasize ideas of double reference or meaning; hence all important words used in comparison or contrast with something else (i. e. in illustration or antithesis), or in doubtful, insincere, sarcastic, ironical expressions. The circumflex ends, according as the main sense demands, downward or upward V (§§ 69-74).

When several words together all express the same general idea, only the last word receives the appropriate falling or rising inflection; e. g. Subjection and slavery (§§ 65, 66). Falling Inflections start higher than the general pitch, and rising inflections lower, except at the end of a paragraph, or for variety (§§ 75-77).

Force. As a rule, more force is always used with words emphasized by pauses and inflections, and upon the last word of each sentence (§ 98).

30):

202. Meaning of the Marks of Emphasis (§§ 29, Pauses: short / long // /// Time: fast, mod. [erate], slow. Quantity is sufficiently indicated usually by the pauses. Inflections: upward' downward` upward circumflex downward circumflex ^.

~

وا

(U).

Pitch: very high (hh), high (h), medium (m), low (1), very low

Stress: initial >, terminal <, median thorough, tremulous w.

compound ><,

Force (in italics) or very loud (f), loud (ƒ), soft (p), very soft

(pp).

Quality: pure P, orotund O, aspirate A, guttural G, pectoral

Pec.

Gestures (§§ 176-179), always marked on a line above the words on which they are used.

For snatch, shuffle, shake, see §§ 188-191.

Unless otherwise marked, waves are on a level with the breast, and all other gestures are low.

203. Directions. Students should first learn the Preliminary Exercise, § 209.

a. Next, until they know how to apply for themselves the principles underlying the marks in this exercise, they should select for declamation some (and read over all) of the marked Declamations in §§ 211-226.

For beginners, and those who do not speak with sufficient spirit, the first among these selections are the best.

204. After this, with special reference to emphasis, students should read by themselves, or, better, before an instructor, one or more of the unmarked declamations that in this work immediately follow the marked ones that they have read or recited.

205. As for the marks, let students remember that these indicate one, not the only appropriate way of delivering any given passage; because the same phraseology may

* For the manner of forming these gestures, see pp. 136-140; for their meaning, p. 134.