ELOCUTIONARY APOTHEGMS AND OUTLINES J. W. SHOEMAKER "When the man is made the orator is almost complete. Language and voice are the easier attainments. Covet, therefore, above all things a full, rounded manhood." "Expression must be an echo of the state of the mind, and the mind is never twice in exactly the same state, therefore the expression cannot be true and be twice alike." "The body in itself is worthless, and it is only the Divinity within us which gives it significance. We are like the cipher, a form, but without value of ourselves, and our value is determined by the Divine Power or the God value back of us. The cipher thus becomes the expression of a value and that value is in proportion to the amount or power of Divinity back of it." "Natural expression may be divided into reflected thought, articulated thought, and acted thought. A thought revealed or manifested through the countenance is reflected thought; through speech, articulated thought; and through movement, acted thought; and in any of these cases the process is but the means and not the end. The countenance must be so transparent that the thought will be seen and not the countenance; the voice so transparent that the thought will be seen and not the voice; and the action so transparent that the thought will be seen and not the action, all like the fluid in a vessel of pure glass, where the vessel is not seen but only the fluid in it." ELOCUTIONARY APOTHEGMS AND OUTLINES 279 "There is a truthful simplicity in childhood, to which few ever return. True art is the pathway to a second childhood which is much to be desired." "Individuality-You can say what nobody else can say. You can do what nobody else can do as yourself. You can never do what he does whom you would imitate." "Avoid invidious comparisons in criticism; also ostentatious display of knowledge on the one hand and obsequious humility on the other." "The brain is dependent upon the body for its supplies, therefore the neglect of body culture is the neglect of mind culture. This is true in the twofold sense of power and grace. The natural increase of bodily power, and the increase of polish and grace of body will give corresponding refinement and polish to mental action." “In reading and speaking let the separate thought be well defined; let it be expressed with full meaning and due proportion." "Two important elements are especially essential to the teacher of elocution,-adaptation and inspiration. The first brings the student into harmony and sympathy; the second, infuses motive to thought, and stimulates action." "The teacher should never forget that it is easier to criticise than to correct faults. Rather correct one fault than criticise a dozen. Profuse criticism will discourage and confuse." "The teacher is an assistant, a helper, a friend, whose business it is to make the student happier for what he gives him." "High attainments are preceded by high ideals, but they are reached by humble processes. If our aim is a high expression, we must seek a high manhood to be expressed. It requires a mountain to express a mountain, a character to express a character, but a high manhood must be preceded by a higher ideal. There is only one worthy our copy and emulation, the Son of Man, the Son of God." Luther's Rule for Speaking "Rise up cheerily ; Speak up bravely; Leave off quickly." Lyman Beecher's Rule "Begin low, Go slow; Rise higher: Take fire !" |