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THE ‘GUIDE’HANDBOOK OFELOCUTION

ELOCUTION AS A SCIENCE AND AN ART

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Author’s NoteThese notes are purposely very conciseThere are no explanations and

discourses, the idea being that the student should by study of the notes gain a sound knowledge of the essential facts, but not be hampered in his research work.

He should be free to apply his knowledge in his own way, and in the manner he finds most helpful to his practical work.

Interpretation depends upon individual taste; it is the outcome of a capacity for sentiment and emotion. This cannot be directed by an text book.

Ethel C BarberDirector of Elocution:Penrhos College

January 1934

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The Language: Formation of Lyric, phonetic value & symbols

Tune of Expressive Speech

Breathing

Prosody

The elements of Elocution

The Lyric and Epic

Voice Production

Platform Deportment: Preparation for platform performance

Interpretation

Elocution : Its meaning & uses

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CONTENTS

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Elocution: Its Meaning and Uses

“What is Elocution?”

This is a question which is frequently asked, for the word “elocution” is misunderstood oftener than most others in our language.

The dictionary tells us: 'Elocution is the acquired art of speech’

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Elocution: Its Meaning and Uses

Elocution books describe it as the art of speaking in such a manner that the voice may be heard, the words understood, and the sentiments and feelings appreciated by those to whom they are addressed.

The world in general looks upon students of Elocution as harmless lunatics, who run madly about a platform, gnashing their teeth and rolling their eyes all for no purpose.

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Elocution: Its meaning and Uses

Few realize that everyone who uses his voice in the course of his social, professional, or commercial career is an elocutionist – and far too many a bad Elocutionist.

Therefore everyone who depends upon his voice to make himself understood in his everyday life should, if he is to get the best out of himself, study Elocution.

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The Language: The Formation of the Lyric, The Phonetic

Values and Symbols

The complicated English language, which the foreigner finds so difficult, is both redundant and deficient.

There are five vowel symbols :a, e, i, o, u, to express nineteen vowel sounds. ‘A’ alone represents five sounds; these are heard in tale, mat, tall, ah, rare; ‘c’ in cent, ‘s” in sent and ‘sc’ in scent are three symbols with one sound. These are typical of the whole alphabet.

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Tune of Expressive Speech: Inflection, Emphasis, Pause,

Modulation, Pitch

Inflection is the varying or gliding of the voice on words for the purpose of denoting their meaning.

Emphasis is a particular stress laid on certain words or parts of a discourse with a view to expressing the speaker’s sense of their importance in statement and argument.

Pause is a cessation in speaking for a perceptible period of time

Modulation is power to vary and inflect the voice.

Pitch is the height and depth of a sound: it must not be confused with voice registers; these are only used in song.

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Breathing

The motive power of voice is breath; without breath there could be no sound.

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Voice production is the cultivation of those organs which are used in making voice.

Air, driven up from the lungs, sets the vocal cords in motion. This vibration of the vocal cords lays the foundation for voice; it cannot be termed voice, being merely a laryngeal whistle, until it has gained Resonance.

Voice Production

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The Elements of Elocution:Gesture, climax, anti-climax,

intensity, restraint

o Gesture is a posture or movement of the body to assist in the meaning of the spoken word: it is an action expressive of sentiment or passion.

o It has been termed ‘the poetry of movement’.

o Through all gesture must be spontaneous and directed by the heart, the body must be disciplined by means of exercise.

o Gesture should be used to express emotion, not to depict words.

o All gestures must have a definite meaning: mere flowing, graceful movements are useless.

o In all cases exaggerated and too frequent gestures render the whole performance ludicrous. Shakespeare says;

“Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand”

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Prosody

Prosody is the science of

Versification; it deals with

various types of verse(or line)

and their formation.

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The Lyric and Ode

The lyric is a form of poetry which was originally composed to be sung to the accompaniment of the harp or lyre.

The ode was formerly written to be set to music. It is dependent for its beauty on the metrical construction and poetical inspiration.

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Platform Deportment: Preparation for Platform Performance

The study of Elocution not only improves our natural powers of speech, but extends our knowledge of the language and promotes appreciation of literature. It benefits us physically and socially. Dramatic Elocution is of professional value.

The requirements of an Elocutionist are a voice which is completely under control, pliable organs of speech, ability to make his words expressive, facility of inflection, power to emphasize and modulate effectively, and also ability to phrase the subject matter regardless of punctuation.

All of this is useless without the right personality and the great gift of imagination. In order to achieve perfection there must be complete co-ordination of the physical, mental and spiritual qualities.

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Platform Deportment: Preparation for Platform Performance

The first step in preparing for public Presentation is decide upon a programme. In selecting this, the type of audience must be taken into consideration, and the aim of the reciter should be to uplift his hearers without boring them.

It must be remembered, too, when deciding upon a programme, that there should be a connecting link between the items; they should be chosen in accordance with some underlying scheme.

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Having arranged a programme, each selection should be thoroughly studied; it should be read through aloud, and consideration given to the meaning, rhythm, inflection etc. When the author’s meaning has been grasped, the selections should be read aloud till known. Success can only be gained by thinking about the incidents and characters and trying to imagine them. This will enable the reciter to give a valid performance.

Platform Deportment: Preparation for Platform Performance

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On reaching the platform, step easily forward with a smile and slight bow. Survey the audience for a few moments before beginning. The reciter’s eyes should not wander from individual to individual, nor be fixed on anyone in particular: he should look ahead so that the audience can see the expression of the eyes.

The final bow should be simultaneous with the short backward step before turning to leave the platform.

Platform Deportment: Preparation for Platform Performance

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The greatest asset of a reciter is imagination ; it is the faculty of forming mental pictures, then extending those images into his work. It is the free play of ideas – the quality by which we are enabled to decompose and build up or own ideas.

Interpretation

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Bibliography

Barber, Ethel C, (1934), The “Guide” Handbook of Elocution, Davis & Moughton Ltd., Birmingham, Great Britain.

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