| OCR Text |
Show 8 HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS OF INTERPRETATION accomplished elocutionists. That elocution is an emi gymnastics side of which i: to one as the intellectual side of many-is something which the elocu that to tionists make haste say they know, while their doing says to become nently intellectual art-an art, the they know it not. "Cultivating -the voice, moreover, after the fashion of the tonists, is a dangerous thing to do. If cultivated after their fashion, it lead to artificiality. Cultivating special seldom, if ever, fails to and tones for this sentiment for that sentiment, for this passion and for that passion, is fatal. It is always safe to be tlirect and honest -subtle I ago to the contrary notwithstanding. they (the elocutionists) ever' know good reading from bad until, instead of giving nine parts of their attention to the brawn side of elocution and one part to the brain side, they give "N or will nine parts of their attention to the brain side and one part to the of the brain Indeed, if they will properly side, the brawn side will well-nigh take care of itself. Then we shall have elocution that is elocution, and elocutionists that are elocutionists: then and not till then, will elocution stand with the take brawn side. care stage and with the world as it deserves to stand." Brain versus Brawn. Nothing makes more clear and definite the antitheses of Murdock, the apostle of the "brawn" method, and the apostle of the "brain" method, than their definitions. Ayres, Murdock says, "Elocution may then be defined as the art of so em ploying the quality, pitch, force, time, and abruptness lIf the voice as to convey the sense, sentiment, and passion of composition or discourse in the fullest and most natural manner, and at the same time with the greatest possible gratification to the ear." Ayres so as is the art "Elocution of language speaking laconically returns, A simple, to make the thought it expresses clear and impressive." direct, motivating end,-"clear and impressive." John T. Raymond. John T. Raymond, of Princeton, a student of Murdock, following partly the lead of Alfred Ayres, first defined the criteria of speech from a psychological basis. He gives the great credit to Murdock. definitions. Yet note the difference of the two authors' Murdock claims, "Pitch relates to the variation voice with regard to acuteness in gravity, as of the high and low, in what |
