Archiwum
- Index
- Zamówienia publiczne praktyczny poradnik dlaorgaizacji pozarządoych
- The Art of Public Speaking Dale Carnagey
- Zeszyt Sutr
- Corey Ryanne Sekret milionera
- WypatrujÄ…c swego przeznaczenia
- Harry Turtledove Crosstime 01 Gunpowder Empire (v1.0)
- Współczena filozofia polityczna
- McClone Melissa Jak za dawnych lat
- Piatek Tomasz Ukochani Poddani Cesarza 2. Szczury I Rekiny
- Darcy Maguire Pasaśźerka na gapć™
- zanotowane.pl
- doc.pisz.pl
- pdf.pisz.pl
- epicusfuror.xlx.pl
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
reality--studied. Have you ever seen a speaker use such grotesque gesticulations that you were fascinated by
their frenzy of oddity, but could not follow his thought? Do not smother ideas with gymnastics. Savonarola
would rush down from the high pulpit among the congregation in the duomo at Florence and carry the fire of
conviction to his hearers; Billy Sunday slides to base on the platform carpet in dramatizing one of his baseball
illustrations. Yet in both instances the message has somehow stood out bigger than the gesture--it is chiefly
in calm afterthought that men have remembered the form of dramatic expression. When Sir Henry Irving
made his famous exit as "Shylock" the last thing the audience saw was his pallid, avaricious hand extended
skinny and claw-like against the background. At the time, every one was overwhelmed by the tremendous
typical quality of this gesture; now, we have time to think of its art, and discuss its realistic power.
Only when gesture is subordinated to the absorbing importance of the idea--a spontaneous, living expression
of living truth--is it justifiable at all; and when it is remembered for itself--as a piece of unusual physical
energy or as a poem of grace--it is a dead failure as dramatic expression. There is a place for a unique style
of walking--it is the circus or the cake-walk; there is a place for surprisingly rhythmical evolutions of arms
and legs--it is on the dance floor or the stage. Don't let your agility and grace put your thoughts out of
business.
One of the present writers took his first lessons in gesture from a certain college president who knew far more
about what had happened at the Diet of Worms than he did about how to express himself in action. His
instructions were to start the movement on a certain word, continue it on a precise curve, and unfold the
fingers at the conclusion, ending with the forefinger--just so. Plenty, and more than plenty, has been
published on this subject, giving just such silly directions. Gesture is a thing of mentality and feeling--not a
matter of geometry. Remember, whenever a pair of shoes, a method of pronunciation, or a gesture calls
attention to itself, it is bad. When you have made really good gestures in a good speech your hearers will not
go away saying, "What beautiful gestures he made!" but they will say, "I'll vote for that measure." "He is
right--I believe in that."
Gestures Should Be Born of the Moment
The best actors and public speakers rarely know in advance what gestures they are going to make. They make
one gesture on certain words tonight, and none at all tomorrow night at the same point--their various moods
and interpretations govern their gestures. It is all a matter of impulse and intelligent feeling with them--don't
overlook that word intelligent. Nature does not always provide the same kind of sunsets or snow flakes, and
the movements of a good speaker vary almost as much as the creations of nature.
Now all this is not to say that you must not take some thought for your gestures. If that were meant, why this
chapter? When the sergeant despairingly besought the recruit in the awkward squad to step out and look at
himself, he gave splendid advice--and worthy of personal application. Particularly while you are in the
learning days of public speaking you must learn to criticise your own gestures. Recall them--see where they
were useless, crude, awkward, what not, and do better next time. There is a vast deal of difference between
being conscious of self and being self-conscious.
"1_1_15">CHAPTER XV. THE TRUTH ABOUT GESTURE 88
The Art of Public Speaking
It will require your nice discrimination in order to cultivate spontaneous gestures and yet give due attention to
practise. While you depend upon the moment it is vital to remember that only a dramatic genius can
effectively accomplish such feats as we have related of Whitefield, Savonarola, and others: and doubtless the
first time they were used they came in a burst of spontaneous feeling, yet Whitefield declared that not until he
had delivered a sermon forty times was its delivery perfected. What spontaneity initiates let practise complete.
Every effective speaker and every vivid actor has observed, considered and practised gesture until his
dramatic actions are a sub-conscious possession, just like his ability to pronounce correctly without especially
concentrating his thought. Every able platform man has possessed himself of a dozen ways in which he might
depict in gesture any given emotion; in fact, the means for such expression are endless--and this is precisely
why it is both useless and harmful to make a chart of gestures and enforce them as the ideals of what may be
used to express this or that feeling. Practise descriptive, suggestive, and typical movements until they come as
naturally as a good articulation; and rarely forecast the gestures you will use at a given moment: leave
something to that moment.
Avoid Monotony in Gesture
Roast beef is an excellent dish, but it would be terrible as an exclusive diet. No matter how effective one
gesture is, do not overwork it. Put variety in your actions. Monotony will destroy all beauty and power. The
pump handle makes one effective gesture, and on hot days that one is very eloquent, but it has its limitations.
Any Movement that is not Significant, Weakens
Do not forget that. Restlessness is not expression. A great many useless movements will only take the
attention of the audience from what you are saying. A widely-noted man introduced the speaker of the
evening one Sunday lately to a New York audience. The only thing remembered about that introductory
speech is that the speaker played nervously with the covering of the table as he talked. We naturally watch
moving objects. A janitor putting down a window can take the attention of the hearers from Mr. Roosevelt. By
making a few movements at one side of the stage a chorus girl may draw the interest of the spectators from a
big scene between the "leads." When our forefathers lived in caves they had to watch moving objects, for
movements meant danger. We have not yet overcome the habit. Advertisers have taken advantage of
it--witness the moving electric light signs in any city. A shrewd speaker will respect this law and conserve
the attention of his audience by eliminating all unnecessary movements.
Gesture Should either be Simultaneous with or Precede the Words--not Follow Them
Lady Macbeth says: "Bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue." Reverse this order and you get
comedy. Say, "There he goes," pointing at him after you have finished your words, and see if the result is not
comical.
Do Not Make Short, Jerky Movements
Some speakers seem to be imitating a waiter who has failed to get a tip. Let your movements be easy, and
from the shoulder, as a rule, rather than from the elbow. But do not go to the other extreme and make too
many flowing motions--that savors of the lackadaisical.
Put a little "punch" and life into your gestures. You can not, however, do this mechanically. The audience will
detect it if you do. They may not know just what is wrong, but the gesture will have a false appearance to
them.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]