*

broad sympathy needed by: reader

conduct for good, they are not his in actual experience. If our imaginations fail to image the sweep and silent grandeur of "the wide and starry sky," if we are indifferent to the gladness of life, and if we do not feel the spiritual energy of Stevenson's poem as a whole, we cannot speak it with fidelity, nor can we hope to communicate to others its gladness and good will. We cannot give that which we do not possess. Not until we know and feel what the author thought and felt are we justified in speaking his words.

20. Emotion the source of impressive speech When Lincoln made his Address at Gettysburg it was not his ideas alone that gave the speech its power, but the sincere expression of noble sentiment and emotion which impressed all who heard him. It was an appeal to the heart. The man made himself felt in all he said. So, in all reading and speaking, forcefulness is the result of the speaker's relation to the thought he utters, of the earnestness and intensity of his feeling about it. When he has felt a thought, when it has impressed and influenced him, the fact will be evident in his speech. The voice, as well as language, reveals how a speaker feels about what he says. It gives thought its emotional and spiritual value." Force, the emotional quality of style," says Barrett Wendell, “I may define as the distinguishing quality that holds attention." Though this refers particularly to written language, it is equally applicable to speech. Without emotion, speech lays little claim to the attention of others. Unless a man means what he says, others will not give much thought to what he says. But nothing is more compelling than earnest self-devotion to an idea. The man back of a thought gives it force and carrying power. This is as true of reading aloud as of speaking one's own thoughts. Since it is the emotional quality of literature that determines its influence

upon us, the emotional energy of the reader, his interest, sincerity, and sympathy are vital to truthful and effective reading.

21. Emotional pretense

Perhaps it is the realization that the power of literature to entertain, interest, and impress us is derived largely from its emotional character that has so often tempted teachers and readers to put emphasis first and chiefly on the importance of producing emotional effects regardless of the thought to be expressed. But in literature it is the thought that stimulates emotion. To pretend to the spirit of a thing before one is sure of its meaning is to play the hypocrite. Feigned enthusiasm, when one is not sure of what one is enthusiastic about, is not so deceptive as it is dishonest. To assume a mood not prompted by a thought or situation can but result in artificiality and insincerity in speech. Moreover, to overdo emotional expression, to carry it beyond the reasonable bounds of the thought itself, is no less censurable. Repression of one's impulses is sometimes as important as expression. There is dignity and strength in self control. Quiet speech under circumstances that excite strong feeling is often most impressive. To strut and bellow and "tear a passion to tatters" may make even the unskillful laugh when they should not. Loudness, rant, and frothy exuberance are "signs of doubt and fear” and self-consciousness, rather than of sincerity and strength. The lofty style of affected declamation gives evidence that the speaker is thinking more about himself than of what he is saying, that he is more eager to produce effect than to communicate thought and genuine feeling.

Bombast and affectation do not inspire confidence in the listener. Studied niceties or exaggerated feeling, in speaking of a beautiful day, the grandeur of a mountain scene,

or the grief one feels over the loss of a friend, would be no more displeasing and shocking than are conscious artificialities in speech, tone, or action in reading a poem. "There are no tricks in plain and simple faith." It is this sort of thing, the striving for effect by extravagant efforts and feigned emotion, that has brought elocution under the suspicion and condemnation of people of taste and judgment and common sense. Let the reader of earnest purpose first make sure of the thought of his author, that he himself is interested in it, and that his emotional response to it is consistent and genuine. Then, with that "divine repression of self" which prompts one to "do all gently," he may speak with real effectiveness and without fear of affectation or dishonesty.

22. Individuality in expression

The acquirement of an honest and forceful style, true to the individual, implies diligent discipline of one's mind and one's self, coupled with a degree of modest self-reliance and faith in one's own judgment, intuition, feeling, and native manner of expression. As individuals differ in temperament, taste, and experience, the shades of meaning they get from words and their emotional response to them will differ. The word "Mother" awakens in each individual feelings similar in tenderness, devotion, and love, but the mental picture of voice and face and person will be different in each case, and the emotional response will vary in obedience to associations awakened. In like manner, the images and experiences called up in the mind of each by a line of poetry will not be identical, and no two persons, if true to their own thought and feeling, will read the line in exactly the same way.

In reading such a poem as Tennyson's Break, break, break, for example, the imagination of each reader will

build up a scene out of his own personal memories and subconscious associations which his experiences have given him. The sea, the rocks, the stately ships, the haven under the hill, the sailor lad singing in his boat, will constitute a picture in each mind unlike, in details at least, that held by any other. So, also, the intensity and quality of the mood of grief felt for one whose voice is forever stilled will vary according to personal experience, temperament, and sympathies. It follows, then, that two persons, reading the poem aloud for what it means to them, will not read alike. Each individual will read himself into the lines,\ voicing through them his own thoughts, his own soul. The most adequate reading, the reading truest to the spirit" of the author will, of course, be given by the one whose experiences are most deep and rich, whose imagination and sympathies are quickest and most sensitive, and whose whole > nature, voice, mind, and emotions, respond most readily to the spiritual appeal of the poem.

There have been a few excellent actors of Hamlet, but no two of them ever gave the part identical interpretations. The personality of the man, which is the result of all that nature and life have given him, determines his understanding and acting of the character. Each person, whether act ing a part on the stage, reading a poem, or speaking his own thought, is revealing himself and his own character. "Believe me," says Archidamus in Shakespeare's Winter's Tale, "I speak as my understanding instructs me and as mine honesty puts it to utterance." Here is stated the fundamental principle of convincing naturalness in speech. Upon this principle one may rest with confidence that one's utterance, whatever weaknesses or technical faults it may have, will at least be honest and true to the individual. And expression without sincerity and individuality is not impressive or forceful.

23. Imitation not true expression

Some one has said that "there are no two persons alike; if there are, one of them is of no account." It was Emerson who declared, "He is great who is what he is from nature and never reminds us of others." The most convincing and expressive speech springs from the very nature of the individual and never reminds us of others. It behooves each student to free his mind from the idea that the art of reading and speech can be learned by imitating some one else. It is an easy matter to prepare a phrase or line, a lesson, or a particular selection for reading, by imitating some one in speaking it, and it saves time, but there is little profit or real training in allowing another person to do one's thinking and work. Strength, self-reliance and self-control are not gained that way. Let the student who would read and speak well resolve to "speak not at all," as Carlyle said, "until you have somewhat to say," and to seek the counsel and criticism of the teacher who will help him to realize his best powers of mind and heart, and to gain self-control and self-reliance, to acquire a style of speech that shall be refined, normal, and true to him as an individual. Then, when the opportunity comes, he may speak with confidence as his "understanding instructs him and his honesty puts it to utterance.” But + honest utterance does not result from imitating others.

24. Expression of feeling is normal

A common difficulty in the attainment of that " emotional quality of style" which gives interest and force and commands attention is the aversion many have to expressing the feeling of what they read. This hesitancy to throw oneself into the spirit of a piece and to express its emotion is often the result of fear lest one seem to be striving for