V* \\ VarMaiTc rt 'A< eci -^ U\! -X c\!\c\ mm If PN 4145 rnper/oifv I iML LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, mp#FE %*m$t 1 tu- Shelf-lkKS UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. WARMAN'S SCHOOL- ROOM FRIEND PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS ON READING, RECITING AND IMPERSONA TING. (NOT A TREATISE ON ELOCUTION.) PROF. E. B. WARMAN, A. M., TEACHER OF ORATORY AND PHYSICAL TRAINING, PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, CHICAGO. _______ (t A Book it valuabh not for the thought it contains \ but for that which it suggests" f ^ 18 183" CHICAGO: W. H. Harrison, Jr., Publisher. 1886. 3 j*»* COPYRIGHT 1886, BY W. H. Harrison, Jr. CONTENTS. Page. Articles A and THE 89 Bowing 94 Conjunctions .89 Declamatory vs. Natural , , .99 Dimness of Sight, Secresy, etc ? • -75 Dropping of the Tone • » • • 77 Emphasis 1 1 Exclamations 21 Explanatory Sentences 82 Eye Educated , , 71 Eye to Audience 72 Eye vs. Ear 74 Fitting the Garment 78 Grammatical Period vs. Thought Period 49 Hesitancy 55 Impersonation vs. Narration 65 Individuality 91 Inflections 23 Interrogations 20 Interrogatory Sentences 18 Links of a Chain 53 Literalness 60 Mannerisms 92 IV CONTENTS. PAGE. Negatives 58 Parenthetical Sentences 85 Personal Grief 80 Poises vs. Pauses 51 Projection of the Tone 76 Punctuation vs. Pauses 46 Quotations 68 Reading of Poetry 51 Reading, Reciting, Impersonating 63 Sacrificing Nature • . • 87 Soliloquies 69 Sound vs. Sense ? . • 92 Stress .« 39 Subordination 16 Successive Thoughts 60 Suspension 58 Unfamiliar Words 88 Words that Echo the Sense 81 PREFACE. We present this treatise as the result of years of experience and observation ; not alone as the public reader upon the ros- trum, but in those closer relations of teacher and pupil which serve to make these pages practical. Many years ago in the Boston Univer- sity School of Oratory, that great and good man, the late Prof. Lewis B. Monroe, said to the author : " We do not leave this world till our time comes ; but if our work is unfinished, the mantle will fall on some one else, that he may complete it for us. You, my friend, are especially called to this branch of work, and you are sure of success, for your energy links with it the high ideal of the art you represent. I have no fear that you will ever pander to the tastes of those who fail to discriminate between the true and the false. (5) 6 PREFACE. This man — whom to know was to love — has passed "the bound of life where we lay our burdens down/' and he has left "the cross" only to gain "the crown." His in- fluence still remains, and ever will -remain* with his pupils, and more especially with those of us who were so favored as to be brought more completely within his soul's radiation by a nearness of association not known in the class-room. To him the author is largely indebted for instruction, hints and suggestions dropped by the way, which, added to our previous and later experience, we have endeavored to put in such form that " He who runs may read." The question is often asked, " To what extent shall we carry the matter of expres- sion in the school-room ?'- General school reading, of all grades, requires that heed should be given to the distinctive utterance of all the elements; to the quality of the voice ; to the erect position of the body ; and to the training of the eye in looking up from the book. Make the scenes live again, at least make PREFACE. y them suggestive, without striking attitudes or resorting to gesticulation — reserve those things for oratorical contests and " com- mencements." Do not, however, go to the other extreme and think it is merely necessary to call the words; give them life and meaning. Read- ing without emotion is what drawing is to painting — merely an outline. Get into the atmosphere of the selection before you at- tempt to breathe it out on those around you. This may all be accomplished with- out the much-dreaded elocution entering the school-room. In short, be natural. To the public reader, or speaker, there are three essential requisites which he should endeavor to possess. i. The thought should be under perfect control. 2. The body should be under perfect control. 3. The voice should be under perfect control. This manual is intended to meet the re- quirements of the first essential element. 8 PREFACE. Its mission is to serve as an aid to the stu- dent in the analysis of thought, whether said student is still within the walls of the school or college, or whether he has taken upon himself the responsibilities of the pulpit, or of the rostrum, or of the stage ; for one should never cease to be a student. Knowing that the books upon the subject of reading which flood the market to-day, have only partially dealt with the prin- ciples of reading, and of voice, and of gesture, and have generally combined them in one — frequently with numerous selec- tions thrown in — we have concluded to devote these pages exclusively to the practi- cal principles of reading, with practical appli. cations of every rule given. There will, therefore, be nothing in this volume, con- cerning voice culture, nor gesture, as we consider each of these of such value as to require such full and special treatment as we have given to this subject. In view of this fact and this need, we have in preparation a manual devoted ex- clusively to the voice — how to train it, and PREFACE. 9 how to care for it; also, a manual devoted exclusively to gestures and attitudes, and to the general bearing of the body, accord- ing to the Delsartean theory. These books, like the present one, will contain no selec- tions, but will be purely practical, enabling the reader or speaker to place his voice and body under such perfect control that both will act in harmony with the spontaneous outburst of nature, without causing the speaker to think of or make perceptible the mechanism necessary to produce the re- quired results. This little volume will be found to be invaluable as a textbook* for the student, for the teacher, and for the public reader or speaker. It will not only aid in divining the thought, but will be of use in clothing it with the proper expres- sion. THE AUTHOR. WAHMAN'S SCHOOL-ROOM FRIEND. Reading, to be effective, should be nat- ural ; not necessarily natural to the reader, but to the thought to be expressed. Read as you talk — but on the condition that you talk well. It is essential that the reader should get into the atmosphere surround- ing the author (or suggested by the selec- tion) ere he attempts its expressive render- ing. There must be z;/zpression before there can be ^pression, otherwise the reading will be but the calling of words. We should not utter words as words, but thoughts as thoughts. Carefully consider the fundamental prin- ciples of expression. The most important and consequently the first to which your attention is invited is EMPHASIS. Every sentence contains one or more emphatic words. In order to determine («) 12 warman's school-room friend. the same, you must come en rapport with the author. A clear perception is essential to a good performance. How shall we determine the emphatic word in a sentence ? Rule. — The emphatic word is the thought word, i. e., the word containing the principal thought. When the subject has been introduced, the new idea becomes the emphatic word. There may be some difference of opinion as to this new idea, consequently the rule of itself throws no special light upon the subject. We will proceed a step farther and offer two tests which will serve as true guides. TEST I. The emphatic word in a sentence is the one that can least of all be dispensed with and retain the thought. TEST II. The emphatic word — by transposing the words in a sentence — can be made the cli- macteric word. To apply these tests we will quote a few lines from " Sale of Old Bachelors." READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 13 EXAMPLE I. " It seemed that a law bad been recently made That a tax on old bachelors' pates should be laid." The italicized words are the new ideas ; the thought words ; the words that cannot be dispensed with and retain the thought. We will make them the climacteric words. " It seemed that recently had been made a law Tiiat on old bachelors* pates should be laid a tax" or, " That a tax should be laid on the pates of old bachelors" Suggestion. — When any paragraph or stanza is in dispute, place the same upon a blackboard, and underscore those words considered emphatic ; also place therewith the marks of inflection which were given to the words when taken with the context. Erase all the other words ; those remaining should so completely contain the thought that should any one enter the room, he would be able — by the words and inflec- tions before him — so to comprehend the thought as to fill the ellipses with his' own language, thus making the stanza or para- graph complete. H Note. — Bear in mind that the stress should always be given to the accented syllable of the emphatic word. We will give another and an excellent method. Suggestion. — While reading, imagine be- fore you one partially deaf, so much so that it would necessitate making the new ideas or thought words quite salient ; so salient that were he to hear none other than the emphatic words and their respective inflec- tions, he would have no difficulty in grasp- ing the entire thought. This subject is of such importance that we will practically apply this method. Suppose some pupil insists upon empha- sizing the word " pates," while another thinks it should be the word " laid." Now call to your aid the deaf person. He hears "law," "tax," "pates," or "law," "tax," "laid." Mark the result. Insomuch as emphasis is founded upon contrast, the deaf person will naturally seek a contrast to pates ; hence it is not surprising to hear him say, " Why did they not make a law to put the - tax ' on some one's ' feet ?' I wonder upon whose ' pates ' it was \ laid ?' " Or on READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. I 5 the other hand he may say — if " laid M is made emphatic — " they were very kind to have the ' law ' signify that the ' tax ' must be 'laid/ I wonder why they did not throw it!" Another application of the tests of emphasis may be found in the fol- lowing hymn : EXAMPLE II. " There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from ImmanueVs veins." We have marked the emphatic words ; the new ideas; the words that cannot be dispensed with and retain the thought. In nine-tenths of cases the emphasis in second line is placed on the word " veins." The blood implies the veins ; the latter ("veiiis ") can be wholly dispensed with, without detriment to the thought. TEST. Fountain — blood — Immanuel versus Fountain — blood — veins. The question naturally arises, What is to be done with the words that are not wholly essential to the expression of the thought ? 1 6 warman's school-room friend. This brings us to the consideration of our next important subject. SUBORDINATION. Rule. — Whatever is subordinate in meaning, should be subordinate in pitch. EXAMPLE. The words following " law," " tax," "bache- lors," and the words following "fountain" and " Immanuel," should be subordinated. The main cause of the lack of good read- ing in our public schools is due largely to either a lack of knowledge when to subor- dinate certain ideas, or the inability so to do. We may know what are the subordi- nate ideas, yet be unable to vocally control them. There is but one way out of this difficulty, and in securing that, we shall be able to remove one of the greatest stum- bling-blocks from the path of our public school reading, viz., monotony and conse- quent lack of expression. Rule. — The emphatic word should be taken out of the level of all subordinate words, either preceding or succeeding it. READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 1 7 The tendency is to let the emphatic word slip directly off from the level of the pre- ceding words. We will take for example, one of the lines previously quoted, and dia- gram it as it should be given. EXAMPLE. Drawn from ^ ^e* instead of s - Drawn from Immanuel's veins. The endeavor to emphasize the word from the level of the preceding ones will bring some unimportant word to the notice of the hearer, thus making the wrong word emphatic, and thereby wholly destroying the sense. By making a slight poise in the voice just preceding the accented syllable of the emphatic word, it will not be difficult to make that word quite salient ; and when this is done, the subordinate ideas will read- ily drop to their places, and will be dis- tinctly heard without detracting from the thought word. We will give another illustration, which will not only serve as a test of emphasis, but will make clear all the preceding points, besides introducing our next important principle, the INTERROGATORY SENTENCES. Zenobia has been arraigned by her peo- ple on the charge of ambition. She ac- knowledges the charge, saying : " I am charged with pride and ambition. The charge is true^ and I glory in its truth." The second " truth " is here an old idea, and, as such, is subordinated to " glory." "And I glory in its truth." V "And I -% . / 4. But we pass to the sentence of which we spoke, as including all the preceding rules and illustrating the new one (Interroga- tion). READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 19 EXAMPLE. " Does it not become a descendant of the Ptolemies and of Cleopatra ? " Considering the fact that she is known by her people to be a descendant of the Ptol- emies and of Cleopatra, the thought be- comes subordinate to that which is ex- pressed in just one word. Let us look at it a moment. The question hinges wholly upon the fact of such pride and ambition becom- ing a descendant of such royal blood. Hence that one word, " become " will serve as a test — such as may be satisfactorily given to all emphatic words — to prove that, "1. The thought word. 2. The new idea. 3. The word that cannot be dispensed with and retain the thought. 4. The word that the deaf man must hear. 5. The word that can be made cli- macteric. 6. The word to which all others are subordinated. The emphatic word is - 20 warman's school-room friend. We will diagram it, and thus illustrate the fact : coaj e > e te. be w *e a d « Does it not Cen da nt Thus the word "become" — by being closely joined to the preceding thought — may be so spoken as to give the whole idea. It can be made the climacteric word by transposition, which will in no way inter- fere with the thought, or with the inflection. EXAMPLE. A descendant of the Ptolemies and of Cleo- patra does it not become? What! give it a falling inflection when it, can be answered by yes or no? Decid- edly so in this case, or in any case where the question is not asked for information or where the answer is predetermined in the mind of the questioner. INTERROGATIONS. Rule. — If you defer to the will or knowledge of others (as in preceding ex- ample), give a rising inflection. If you READING, RECITTNG, IMPERSONATING. 21 ASSERT your own will, give a falling in- flection. By the latter inflection, Zenobia did not admit of any doubt in the matter, and by her imperativeness did not allow her peo- ple to question it a moment, but asserted her will with such dignity and grace as to have them readily coincide with her. This method of handling the interrog- atory sentences is of inestimable value : i. To the teacher when conducting a school. 2. To the minister when addressing a congregation. 3. To the lawyer when appealing to a jury. 4. To the politician when haranguing the masses. EXCLAMATIONS. Exclamatory sentences, like interrog- atives, are governed in their inflections by the matter of assertion or deference. In addressing the Deity, there should al- ways be deference ; in speaking 0/* the Deity, there should always be reverence. 2 2 WARMAN'S SCHOOL-ROOM FRIEND. Rule. — In giving utterance to a name or thought, if speaking to, give a rising in* flection ; if speaking of, give a falling in- flection. EXAMPLE I. "Jesus! lover of my soul!" EXAMPLE II. "Jesus! the dearest name on earth!" EXAMPLE III. " I, an itching palm!" EXAMPLE IV. *• Chastisement!" We will next consider the subject of in- flections, and present our diagrams and ex- planations thereof : READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 23 INFLECTIONS. (a). Opposition of meaning re- quires opposition of inflection, (b). Weakness vs. Strength, (c). Irony — Sarcasm, etc. V A (d.) Prospective, (doubt) / (e). Retrospective (positive) \ (f ). Will deferred. / (g) Will asserted. \ ( ? )'(9 Inflections A ^ Grou P ed - (3 or more thoughts) / / \ (i). Detached. (3 or more thoughts) \ \ \ (j). Falling suspensive. V (k). Continuity. — ■ (1.) Assuming vs. Asserting. V A / (m.) Interrogations. / \ (n). Exclamations. / \ 24 warman's school-room friend. (a). Opposition of Meanirig. Opposition of Inflections. Rule. — Wherever there is contrasted meaning, there should be contrasted inflec- tion. example. (" Poor Little Jim.") " The cottage was a thatched one, the out- side, etc. But all within that little cot," etc. (b). Weakness vs. Strength. Rule. — The continuous use of rising in- flection is indicative of weakness — either mentally or physically — on the part of the reader or speaker. Strength, courage, firmness, etc., are characterized by the fall- ing inflection. EXAMPLE. A beggar asks for alms. Thus deferring to the will or knowledge of the person addressed; and it will invariably be with the rising inflec- tion. "Give me penny?" But when Shylock wants his bond, he asserts his will and manifests his strength. I stay here on my bond. (c). Irony, Sarcasm, Etc. Rule. — : A11 expressions of irony and sarcasm are given either with a rising or READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 25 with a falling circumflex, dependent wholly upon the nature of the context. EXAMPLE. Indeed. Indeed. (d. and e). Prospective vs. Retrospective. Rule. — In the expression of a thought, the fundamental part of which is wrapt in doubt, the uncertainty should be expressed with a rising inflection; but the positive- ness, or certainty, should be expressed by the falling inflection. example. ("Paul Revere's Ride.") " For suddenly all his thoughts are bent On a shadowy something far away, Where the river widens to meet the bay.— A line of black that bends and floats On the rising tide, like a bridge of boats. The word " something" is emphatic, but as he does not know what that "something" is, the doubt or prospective situation causes a rising inflection. But he does know that he sees a line of "black" and that it has the appearance of "boats" in consequence of which decision or positiveness, it should 26 warman's school-room friend. be read with the falling inflection on these words. The words " Far away where the river widens to meet the bay " — are explanatory, and should be treated as such, making them wholly subordinate to the rest of the thought, not even borrowing color from the secrecy of what precedes or succeeds. example no. 2. "The face against the pane." " Four ancient fishermen, In the pleasant autumn air, Came toiling up the sands, With something in their hands, — Two bodies, stark and white." The doubt, as in the preceding example, is expressed in the word "something" by giving it the rising inflection, while the positiveness is asserted as soon as it is dis- covered what that something is; hence the falling inflection is placed on the word " bodies.'' (f and g). Will Deferred, Will Asserted. Rule. — When deferring to the will or knowledge of others give the rising inflec- READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 2*J- tion ; when asserting your own will, give a falling inflection. This rule has previously been given when dealing with the interrogatives, but is used at all times in deciding points of deference or will. example. ("Ride of Jennie McNeal") — Car let on. "Madam, please give us a bit to eat?" A British officer, and a dozen or more dragoons, enter the house ol a lady and her daughter, who are living on neutral ground. They want something to eat and intend to have it ; the officer therefore asks for it with a falling inflection. Were he to give the rising inflection, he would defer to her will, and might be refused. It is imperative, commanding, and withal, gen- tlemanly. (h and i). Grouped vs. Detached. Rule. — Consider carefully as to whether the author had all the thoughts in his mind at time of writing the first one of a series, or whether they suggested themselves sep- arately. If the former, then they should be grouped and so expressed by giving a 2$ WARMAN^S SCHOOL-ROOM FRIEND. rising inflection on all but the last. If the thoughts were taken separately then there should be a falling inflection given to each. In our diagram it will be observed that we have placed three inflections opposite each of these forms, signifying thereby three thoughts or objects. It may be three words or three clauses, generally treated as a series. Our rule will apply to any number. We choose three for sake of convenience. example. (Tell's address to the Alps). " O sacred forms, how proud you look ! How high you lift your heads into the sky! How huge you are, how mighty, and how free! Ye are the things that tower, that shine; whose smile Makes glad, — whose frown is terrible; whose forms, etc." As Tell gazed upon the mighty Alps, it is beyond controversy, that these thoughts oi " proud, high, huge, mighty, free " were one by one suggested to him, and from the fulness of his heart he ^claimed them, not READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 29 ^claimed them. Insomuch as we deal with thought as with tangible objects, by the use of the latter (as hereafter sug- gested) the rule for thoughts grouped and detached may be more forcibly brought to the notice of pupils. example. (By use of tangible objects). Hold up some object — a book, for instance* Ask the pupils to tell you what you hold in your hand. They will answer with a falling inflection — a book. Take up another object — a slate. Repeat the question, and they will again answer with a falling inflection — a slate. Present still another object — a pencil. They will answer you a third time — or any number of times that the articles are taken separately — with a falling inflection — a pencil. This illus- trates thoughts when taken separately. Hold the objects together in the hand, in the same order, and repeat the question. The answer will unhesitatingly be given with a rising in- flection on the first two and a falling on the last / / \ — a book, a slate and a pencil. This illustrates thoughts grouped, all being in the mind of the speaker or writer at the time the first one of the series is expressed. 30 warman's school-room friend. (j). Falling Suspensive. This inflection is of the utmost importance to the reader or speaker. It is entirely distinctive from the intense falling inflection (or falling inflection proper). When a thought is complete and you desire to im- press it upon your hearers, it is best to give the intense falling inflection, following it with an appropriate pause. But there are words and clauses, the effectiveness of which would be utterly destroyed were you to give the intense falling inflection, or would be greatly weakened were you to give the rising inflection. Rule. — Where it is desired to strongly impress by an inflection, yet hold the mind of the hearer in readiness for continuous thought, while dwelling on other parts of the picture that make up its entirety, it will be necessary to give the falling- inflec- tion sufficient to impress, but suspend it just when leaving it in order to impress it, and yet sustain the attention. example. (" Revolutionary Rising/* — T. B. Read. "And now before the open door— The warrior priest had ordered so — > READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 3 I The enlisting trumpet's sudden roar Rang through the chapel, o'er and o'er, Its long, reverberating blow; So loud and clear, it seemed the ear Of dusty death must wake and hear. And there the startling drum and fife Fired the living with fiercer life; While overhead, with wild increase, Forgetting its ancient toll of peace, The great bell swung as ne'er before. It seemed as it would never cease; And every word its ardor flung From off its jubilant iron tongue Was, war! war! war!" Not an intense falling inflection should be given throughout this entire stanza. The whole scene is one of continuous action. The trumpet continues its blowing ; the reverberations continue in the chapel ; the drum and fife continue to " stir the living with fiercer life;" the bell " as if it would never cease/' continues its warlike and thrilling vibrations. Closely allied to this falling suspensive inflection is what may be termed continu- ity. Though unlike in the absence of a downward slide, it is always continuous. 32 warman's school-room friend. It is generally a rising inflection, though sometimes a monotone. (k) Continuity. Rule. — Continuity is expressed by the suggestiveness of the words intended to impress the hearer, Hith either continuous sound or motion. Were the falling inflection to be given, especially on the marked words of each of the following examples, it would arrest the thought in the mind of the listener, thus producing a very unsatisfactory result. EXAMPLES. A light hammer, as in Dickens' " Cheerful Locksmith." " Tink, tink, tink, clear as a silver bell." The waves, as in "The face against the pane." " And the breakers on the beach Making moan, making moan." The wind, as in "Paul Revere's Ride." "Seeming to whisper^ — all is well.'' The trees, as in "The face against the pane." " The willow -tree is blown To and fro, to and fro." A clock, as in " The old clock on the stairs," READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 33 " Forever — never ! Never — forever ! " A belles in " Rising in 1776." " And every word its ardor flung From off its jubilant iron tongue Was: War! War! War!'' The inflections have a most marked influ- ence upon an audience. You may drive the thought home ; you may leave it to the decision of others, or by the use of this last inflection, the contin- uity in the mind of the reader will secure the same continuity in the mind of the hearer. Though the speaker's voice has ceased, the inflection causes the hammer to continue its cheerful tinkling; the waves their moaning ; the wind its sighing ; the willow tree its impressiveness of human form and suffering, " Till it seems like some old crone Standing out there all alone, With her woe ! Wringing, as she stands, Her gaunt and palsied hands." 34 warman's school-room friend. The clock continues its ticking, which is ever indicative of " Mournf ulness or glee Even as our hearts may be." The bell continues its ringing, whether its sound is that of "The mellow wedding bells, The loud alarum bells, The tolling of the bells," or whether it is sending forth its particular creed " Salvation's free! we tell! we tell!" or breathing the notes of " War ! " We will cite one more example of con- tinuity produced by the reader in speaking of the clock, even where it is removed from the words the clock seems to utter. " It echoes along the vacant hall Along the ceiling, along the floor." The reader should, by his inflections and tones, be able to take the hearer through all the old rooms, and breathe upon him the joy or sadness, as the case may be, and in the use of the inflection of continuity, READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 35 the ticking of the clock should not cease — mentally — during the rendering of any por- tion of the poem. In the rendition of the above lines, we should distinctly hear it as it seems to fill the hall with its vibrations. The reader will find that a judicious use — fulness and continuity — of the liquids (1 and r) and nasals (m, n, and ng) will add greatly to the charm of reading. We do not wish to be understood as introducing a false elo- cution, i. c. playing with the voice, but we desire that there should be a natural sug- gestiveness that will bring the picture viv- idly before your hearers. The general ten- dency is to slight these elements. Give to EVERY ELEMENT ITS DUE QUANTITY AND QUALITY. .NO MORE, NO LESS. (m). Interrogations — See page 20. (n). Exclamations — See page 2 1 . Assuming vs. Asserting. Rule. — What has been accepted as a uni- versal fact should not be asserted by a fall- ing inflection as though it were unknown, but given with a circumflex, or, at times, a ris.ing inflection, thus assuming that your hearers possess the knowledge. 36 warman's school-room friend. example No. i. (" Evening at the Farm.") — J. T. Troivbridge. " The straw's in the stack, the hay in the mow ;" We expect to find just such a condition of things on every well regulated farm, hence there should be no assertion made by giving an intense falling inflection on "stack" and "mow," for you should assume that your hearers know this to be true. example no. 2. ("Ride of Jennie McNeaL") — Car let on. " Paul Revere was a rider bold; Weil has his valorous deeds been told. Sheridan's ride was a glorious one; Often it has been dwelt upon. But why should men do all the deeds On which the love of a patriot feeds? Hearken to me while I reveal The dashing ride of Jennie McNeal." Instead of asserting, as is often done by public readers, that Paul Revere was a rider bold, and that Sheridan's ride was a glorious one, you should acknowledge that your hearers are cognizant of these facts. The falling inflection given to "bold" and READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 37 'glorious" has the effect of misleading your hearers, for it gives them the impression that they are to hear more concerning these men, whereas neither the men nor the deeds are again mentioned. The names "Revere" and "Sheridan" are brought in marked con- trast with "Jennie McNeal " ; hence the reader should give a circumflex on the last syllable of " Revere," and the first syllable of "Sheridan" — the accented sylla- bles — and a suspensive inflection on "bold" and "glorious." The author asks in tones of sarcasm — always expressed by circum- flex— "But why should men do all the deeds?" He does not intend that we should put any stress on deeds, but on men as con- trasted with the Jieroine. By assuming the knowledge of the audience concerning these men, there will be no assertion made till the heroine is introduced. The foregoing includes all practical rules on inflection ; we would, however, advise that the ear be sufficiently trained to recog- nize the various forms. A few moments 38 warman's school-room friend. daily, in the practice of examples given by the teacher, will be found to be very ben- eficial. Take the Italian A (a) and give a falling inflection, each time from a higher pitch — ^ah ^ah ^ah all ^ah Take the same from a rising inflection, each time from a higher pitch. ah ah ah alt alt Teach the falling circumflex A by be- ginning with a rising ah then a falling ah y then y Explosive. 2 Median (middle), <> Swell. 3 Terminal (final), < Crescendo. 4 Thorough (through), =» Organ tone. 5 Compound (composed of two), x 6 Intermittent (broken), .... Tremolo. Rule (1) The Radical Stress (as the sign or character > indicates) is somewhat explosive in its nature. It may be used in light, or conversational reading, and when judiciously done, lends life and sparkle to what would otherwise be dull, thus giving 40 warman's school-room friend. clearness and decision to the utterance. It is also used in abrupt or startling emotion, and in the expression of positive convic- tions. EXAMPLE I. " Give us, O give us the man who sings at his work." EXAMPLE II. Exert your talents and distinguish yourself, and don't think of retiring from the world until the world will be sorry that you retire. EXAMPLE III. V V V " To arms! to arms! to arms! they cry, Grasp the shield and draw the sword; Lead us to Phillippi's lord: Let us conquer him or die!" Great care should be taken in the use of this stress, to avoid the tendency to the high, light, narrow, contracted tones so often used upon the platform when address- ing large audiences, thinking it neces- sary to raise the pitch of voice, instead of increasing the power. The prevailing schoolroom tone is a fair sample of the READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 4! radical stress misapplied. The voice being pitched so high as to make it cold and dis- agreeable in its quality, being but a state- ment of facts, without any heart element in it, and much less vitality. This arises largely, from the fact that the schools de- velop the mental, at an expense of the moral (heart) and vital (bodily) growth. Rule.— The Median Stress (as the character o indicates) is caused by a swell- ing and gradual diminishing of the voice on the accented syllable of the word. EXAMPLE. O, precious hours. O, golden prime. This stress represents the moral or heart element, and should penetrate all others. A mere statement of facts being exclusively mental is of itself cold and heartless. The purely mental deals with the details, but the moral and vital never. EXAMPLE I. " Flower in the crannied wall I pluck you out of the crannies; 42 warman's school-room friend. V Hold you here, root and all, in my hand Little flower — but if I could understand What you are, root and all, and all in all, I should know what God and man is." The tendency in school reading is to give the entire emphasis in this stanza by use of radical stress. By so doing there is a cold- ness pervading it, a lack of the heart ele- ment, so that when the word "understand" is emphasized, it is done in such a way as to lead one to think the reader desires to understand through the head, exclusive of the heart. Your understanding and knowl- edge of God should be through the heart as well as the head. By the use of this median stress we are brought in more direct sympathy with the author and the speaker. This stress should be used in all selections of an emotional nature. Its use in conver- sation shows culture and refinement ; the lack of it — the use of thorough stress — is very marked, and is a sure indication of a lack of refinement. READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 43 EXAMPLE II. " Who was her father ? Who was her mother ? Had she a sister ? Had she a brother? Or was there a dearer one Stilly and a nearer one Yet, than all other?" 1 Rule.— The Terminal Stress — as the character (<) indicates, is abrupt at the close of the sound. It is vital in its nature. It is well illustrated by the furi- ous bark of a dog when preceded by a deep growl. It is as opposite to that of the mental as is the bark of a large dog to that of the little snapping cur. The one clearly represents the vital tone — terminal stress — by its breadth and the force given at the end; the other as clearly represents the mental tone — radical stress — by its nar- rowness, and the force at the beginning. example 1. 1. "Blaze, with your serried columns, I will not bend the knee." EXAMPLE II. 2. "But out upon this half-faced fellowship." These three essential forms of stress re- quire special attention before illustrating 44 warman's school-room friend. the three that are less used in general read- ing. We desire to impress more clearly and forcibly the different degrees of pitch and quality of voice represented by the radical, median and terminal stress. These three forms of stress, quality of voice, and effect produced by each may be well illustrated by a pyramid, thus : Stress. Radical. Median. Terminal. ( The intellectual power is of the mind. X The moral power is of the sou/. ( The vital power is of the body. In-so-much as ( the intellect is cold, \ X the heart is warm, \ The reader ( the passions are fiery. ) ( first move the passions, should •< then touch the heart, ( and finally interest the mind. Rule. — The Thorough Stress of tone, as the character ( ) indicates, is fulness and steadiness, used in calling or shouting Note.— The above diagram is in accordance with the Delsartean theory as presented by the late Prof. Lewis B. Monroe. Quality of Voice. Effect upon Audience. a Mental. Disputatious. /\ Moral. Emotional. / \ Vital. Antagonistic, READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 45 to such a distance, as to necessitate a pro- longed or sustained volume of voice. EXAMPLE I. Boat ahoy! EXAMPLE II. " Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns! " Rule. — The Compound Stress — as the character (X) indicates — is composed of the radical and terminal stress. It is closely allied to the circumflex, and it is used in similar expressions. EXAMPLE. " Hath a dog money ? " Rule. — The Intermittent Stress — as the character ( ) indicates is a broken or tremulous quality of voice. It may be used with great effect in the de- lineation of character, when representing old age, or in the expression of grief. EXAMPLE I. "Pity the sorrows of a poor old man, Whose trembling limbs have borne him to your door." EXAMPLE II. 44 Swift to be hurled — - Anywhere, anywhere Out of the world!" 46 warman's school-room friend. PUNCTUATION vs. PAUSES. Points in writing and pauses in speaking, are often at variano. . Points belong to the grammatical con- struction, pauses to the delivery. " Every selection, prose or poetry, has two sets of punctuation marks ; one visible, the other invisible ; one made by the printer, the other by the reader." Those made by the reader are called pauses of thought, and should occur wherever the thought de- mands a pause. There can no rule be given as to the length of the pause, as it may not be twice alike by the same reader, so com- pletely does it depend upon the occasion, the surroundings, and the spirit of the reader, when giving expression to the thought. Rule. — The Rhetorical Pause "is made either before or after the utterance of any important thought ; if made before, it awakens curiosity and excites expectation as to what follows ; if it is made after, it carries the mind back to what has already been said." READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 47 example. — (Sheridan's Ride.) " And the wave of retreat checked its course there because The sight of the ?nac*er compelled it to pause." To read it as punctuated — not a pause till end of second line — would require more care in regard to the breath than to the sense, for the latter would be wholly ob- scured. The emphasis should be on the words "wave of retreat" — as a phrase word —and on "checked," making the first rhe- torical pause at that word (checked), thus carrying the mind back to what has been said ; this part of the picture is complete in itself, and should be expressed with the . falling suspensive inflection. The next rhe- torical pause should be given after the word "because" has been expressed by a strong terminal stress ; here one is held in expectation of that which is to follow. Place a rhetorical pause after "master" — carrying the mind more directly to the hero; follow this closely with a full median stress on "compelled," expressing it in such a manner as to show the strong compulsion. 48 warman's school-room friend. It will be found that the words italicized, with the proper stress and pause on each, will tell the entire story. Let it be borne in mind that a rhetorical pause will have but little weight unless the pause be filled with thought. It is only by this continuity of thought on the part of the reader, that he can control the thought in the mind of the hearer. Punctuation is essential to the grasping of the thought of the author, nothing more. By the punctuation you as students, per- ceive; by the pauses you, as readers, interpret. EXAMPLE I. Woman without her man is a brute. EXAMPLE II. Let the toast be dear woman. We need the punctuation in the above, to guide us as to its interpretation. They might be read as though punctu- ated thus — 1. "Woman without her man, is a brute." 2. "Let the toast be^ dear woman! " READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 49 but they should be read as follows : 1. Woman! without her, man is a brute. 2. Let the toast be — Dear woman! "The influence of our system of gram- matical punctuation, as ordinarily taught, is a corruption of natural delivery." The old method of counting so many at a comma, so many at a colon, etc., was no more apt to destroy the sense of the read- ing, than is the yet prevailing method of causing the voice to always fall at a period, or to always rise at a comma. This will be clearly illustrated by what we term — Grammatical Period vs. Period of Thought. Rule. — When the end of the climax in thought is reached — no matter in what part of a sentence — the period should be placed there in the delivery of that thought. example 1. 1. "I'm nearer my home to-day Than ever I've been before." The words marked are the emphatic ones. One of the three words will receive the strongest emphasis — it should be on the word "home" — but the last word ("before") 50 WARMAN S SCHOOL-ROOM FRIEND. being wholly superfluous to the thought, should receive no stress whatever, and the period in thought will occur directly fol- lowing the strongest emphatic word. The word "been" includes "before," as you could not have "been" unless it was "be- fore." Transpose the sentence, and it will be found that the inflection and emphasis is in no way changed. I'm nearer to-day than ever I've been before to my home. Thus it will be seen that where you make your emphatic pause you should make your decided inflection, irrespective of the gram- matical pause. EXAMPLE II. "The affrighted air with a shudder bore, Like a herald in haste to the chieftain's door." The tendency is to pause at the word "bore" because there is a comma there ; this would utterly destroy the sense. The words "with a shudder" are parenthetical. The word "bore" should be closely con- nected with what follows. Farther along in the same selection we have READING, RECITING, IMPERSONATING. 51 EXAMPLE III. "And louder yet into Winchester rolled The roar of that red sea uncontrolled." Again we have a parenthetical sentence —into Winchester. There is a comma at uncontrolled, yet it is right at this point where the period of thought occurs. Un- controlled should have full force on the three syllables, accumulative to the last, and an intense falling inflection on the last, as this word is the very keynote of the poem. There was a battle raging, and as the master was away, it was uncontrolled, and this is the thought that should be irn- pressed by proper ts**4L^i ^ At- <*. C^ &Vl~- ^ £v^*++j£ .^C Ajl- Sit^A Jh^^Ly to^tj &« CLIPPINGS FROM THE PRESS. "The Actor's Story," and "One Day Solitary," were fine charac- terizations, rendered with wonderful truthfulness and power. It is hard 10 sav whether Prof. W. excels in representing- the intense feeling delineated in the last named selections or the humorous, but it is safe to say that he does well whatever he attempts. We think, howev r, that the pure joyousness that bubbles up so gaily in his mirth, like the musical ripple of a clear mountain brook, is the mi st perfect enjoyment he bestows upon his audience. His laugh- ter is as natural, merry and infectious as a child's.— Evanston (///.) Rep. Mr. Warman seems to be an exception to traveling elocutionists. He is a man of liberal culture and large experience; and what is more important to note, he is far as possible removed from aught that is artificial, vapid or overwrought declamation, but is perfectly natural.— Dts Moines {Iowa) Register. Prof. E. B. Wurman's lectures on "Bible and Hymn Reading" and "Poe's Raven,'-* we-e the finest efforts of the kind ever given to our people. He Ls a specialist who understands his an.— Oska- loosa (lovja) Herald. Prof. Wurman's wonderful transition from tragedy to ludicrous, in delivery, action, posture and facial expression, we have rarely seen equaled and never excelled. He mak< s an agreeable discrimi- nation between the true and the false elocution, and holds the attention o his audience from beginning to the end of his pro- gramme. The numerous sel etions were given in a refined vein no: common with elocutionists. At the close Prof. W. gave an ex- hibition of Indian Club swinging that was scientific in itself and wonderful to th<- beholder. He uses two eight pound clubs, and his -kiliful handling proved that he was a master of the art. — Beatrice {Neb ) Ezp>tss. As a render, Prof. Warman will take a high rank. Possessed of a voice of considerable compass, and capable of almost infinite modulations, he seems to get at the spirit of whatever he attempts to recite, and he breathes it out upon those around him. — Boston Post. Prof. Warman read Longfellow's "Famine" in a manner which showed study and a true appreciation of the poet. — Boston Tran- script. Prof. Warman possesses a deep rich voice, which is finely culti- vated, and under perfect control.— Detroit Free Press. He read in a manner that none but a master could approach. — Mansfield, (O.) Liberal. It mattered not what the subject was, he was able to go into and bring out what was in it. convulsing the audience with laughter, or hushing it to the stillness of death. — Lovjell {Mass. Courier. Prof. Warman's readings at Congress Hall, Tuesday evening, 23d inst, were listened to by a cultivated and appreciative audience large enough to fill the hall. There is no question among those who heard him that Prof. Warman is a finished elocutionist, pos- sessing a most pleasing voice which he knows how to use to the best advantage. — Chronicle, Portsmouth, N. H. While every part was well don°, Mr. Warman seemed to excel in his descriptive pieces. The selections on the programme by WiH Carleton were rendered with a naturalness and pathos which showed the insight of the reader into the heart-life of weak human- i y.- Caledonian, St. Jo/msbury, Vt. Prof. Warman gave a reading in Town Hall, Saturday evening. The selections were rendered in a manner to warrant one in placing the professor in the foremost rank of the elocutionists, and his suc- cess in holding the attention of the audience is remarkable. — Lon- donderry, N. H. Cor. to Exeter Nevjs Letter. His perfect rendition of different characters, fine scholarly ability and success in elocution demand for him an enviable position in society, and a successful public career in the future. He enters into his work with true earnestness, his very soul seemingly inspired by the character he represents, thus holding an audience spell- bound. — Messenger, Maple Rapids, Mick, His versatility of genius, both in facial and vocal expression, was such as to hold the interest unbroken through the entire pro- gramme. His voice is under excellent control and exhibits with fine effect the resonant and moral elemen s of tone. His manner and gesture, when tested by the highest art, were true in his most ordinary as his most exalted portraitures. — Chicago Inter-Ocean. Prof. Warman possesses fine powers, evidently the result of long training a- d study. Every word he articulates seems to vibrate through the hall, and so clear and distinct that the listener never grows weary. — Cleveland (Okio), Leader. His reading as a whole was so good that it would be hard to par- ticularize the most meritorious, though we think that his rendering of Will Carleton's Farm Ballads was perhaps the best part of the evening. He is a genuine humorist, as his "Der Baby" and other humorous pieces attested. — Norzvalk (O.), Reflector. \ "His rendition of 'Paul Revere's Ride,' was splendid; glowing along in the spirit of the times in which it was written, 'Rock me to Sleep,' sent many minds back to the days when 'last hushed by your lullaby song.' " — Western Indianian. "Prof. Warman's keen perception of the pieces read, the spirit and enthusiasm with which he rendered them, his easy and graceful gestures, his clear and distinct enunciation of every word and sylla. ble, show h