Emphatic Gestures are used to assist the voice in enforcing or emphasizing thought or feeling, and contribute largely to the effectiveness of the orator or speaker who is discriminating in their use.

Passional Gestures are pre-eminently the representation of strong emotion, and mark the highest phases of dramatic and oratoric art.

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A gesture is made up of three parts, the preparation, the ictus or stroke, and the return; or if not the return, the passing of the hand by transition from one form of gesture to another. The stroke should be simultaneous with the vocal impulse given to the more important parts of the language, the stroke of the gesture being to the eye what emphasis and inflections of the voice are to the ear. though a gesture is made up of three parts, the greatest simplicity should be observed in passing from one part to another, so that the thought or feeling is made pre-eminent and not the action. It is better to allow the voice alone to express the sentiment than to have the attention distracted by the manner. A display of ornate or meaningless gesticulation often weakens the thought.

Transition in gesture is a movement in which the hand is carried from one form of gesture to another without first returning to a rest point. Its place is to assist the voice when there is continuity of thought. Especially is its value seen in the rhetorical climax, for a climax in thought and feeling should have a corresponding climax in voice and action.

HAND INDICATIONS

"The hand may properly be called the second tongue, because Nature has adapted it, by the most wonderful contrivance, for illustrating the art of per suasion."-ARTEMIDORUS.

In the ages past, when the mechanism of the human frame was little understood, the power and capability of the hand was recognized as an agent of expression. Ancient orators said of it: "It speaks for itself; it is a universal language; without it is no eloquence." We of today, in the light of a higher civilization, should not underestimate this means of communication with which man has been so graciously endowed.

The hand as a part of the arm, is carried by the latter to certain objective or subjective points, wherein by position or significant movement, it conveys a meaning. As with all the media of expression, there must be secured first, mastery of muscle through control of nerve force, and second, appropriateness in manifestation, before the highest results in delivery can be attained, or the multitudinous variety of hand indications be left, with any degree of confidence, to the individuality of the speaker or reciter. The hand, like other parts of the body, indexes the three States of the Being, and makes use of the same modes of motion, the eccentric, concentric, or normal, or their various blendings; for whatever state or condition dominates the centre, must perforce liberate itself in the same way through all the avenues of the body, even to the finger-tips. It not infrequently happens that an untrained speaker possesses only a meagre variety of hand gesticulation; but as the rhetorician makes use of an extended and choice vocabulary, to give the finest and most impressive utterance of his thoughts, so the speaker, to attain the greatest success in delivery, should have all varieties of symbolization at his command.

In gesturing there is no choice as to which hand shall be used. The action of the left arm is as necessary as that of the right, except in certain conventional forms, as extending the hand to another in welcome, or in solemn adjuration, etc. Both hands, in simultaneous action, indicate a greater degree of intensity than is shown by one alone. The palm is the most expressive part of the hand; from it the outer parts receive their action, and in the free opening and closing of the hand is found a primary condition of visible eloquence, for the palm, well presented to the hearer, is capable of great power of expression.

NOTE.-Only a few of the hand indications are given here, such as are most frequently used and are plainly expressive of the sentiment. These, if properly practiced, will lead to ease and finish in other forms of hand gesticulation.

In these exercises as well as in all instruction regarding delivery, the pupil is placed at a disadvantage, unless he has the living instructor.

The Hand Supine (palm away from earth) is exceedingly broad in its signification. It is the giving and deciding hand-it is free, open, genial; therefore it may be said that it affirms, invites, declares, invokes, petitions,

accepts, defines, concedes, reveals, entreats,

acknowledges, permits, dismisses, intensifies, and persuades.

NOTE. Here introduce silent practice exercises (that is, exercises without words) of hand supine, in the various arm realms, with both direct and deflected arm movements, in different altitudes and different directions from the front, in the three planes previously explained. Then follow with word exercises.

Exercises

1. "Hath Britain all the sun that shines? day, night, Are they not but in Britain ?”

2. "The war is inevitable."

3. "From eastern rock to sunset wave, The Continent is ours."

4. "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?”

5. "Come forth, O ye children of gladness, come !"
6.

Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him to pieces !"

7. "Dreams are but the children of an idle brain."

8. "O Living Will, that shalt endure .

When all that is shall suffer shock,

Rise in the spiritual rock,

Flow through our deeds and make them pure."

The Hand Prone (palm toward earth) is the controlling hand-it is protective, restrictive, secre

tive, mystical; hence its indications are that of guardianship, benediction, dependency, suppression, cessation, pro

hibition, imprecation, hopelessness, concealment, and awe. NOTE.-Here use silent practice exercises, then follow with word exercises.

Exercises

1. "Noon descends around me now;
'Tis the noon of autumn's glow."

2. "The winds, with wonder whist,
Smoothly the waters kissed."

3.

Peace! Peace! you durst not so have tempted him." 4. "The Prohibition of the rum traffic will prove a safeguard to our people."

5. "Cease a little while, O wind! Stream, be thou silent."

6. "Down, soothless insulter, I trust not the tale !"

7. "The cloud of adversity threw a gloom over his prospects."

8. "Thy threats I scorn; thy mercies I despise !”

Hand vertical (palm outward, fingertips upward,) is evasive, repellent, aversive; its indications are that of calamity, surprise, amazement, fear, terror, disdain, loathing, also that of separation, dispersion, and disruption.

NOTE.-Introduce here silent practice exercises, followed by word exercises.

Exercises

1. "Away! I do condemn mine ears that have so long attended thee."

2. "O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee!"

3. "Fly, fly, my lord!"

4. "O, ruined piece of nature!"

5. "Get you hence, for I must go

Where it fits you not to know."

6. "Far from our hearts be such inhuman feelings." 7. "Celestial light dispels the gloomy shades of night." 8. "Bursts the wild cry of terror and dismay !"

The Index Finger may indicate scorn, contempt, accusation, derision, warning, threatening; it

may be used in discriminating, and forcibly asserting, and in making conspicuous some one object among a number or collection.