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GENERAL PLAN OF LESSONS.

During the Sophomore and Junior years, each student receives private instruction for one week of each term.

He practices in the Chapel once a day for five days, viz. on Thursday and Friday, and on Monday, Tuesday, and the morning of Wednesday. He then declaims before his class on Wednesday afternoon.

On each day of practice he receives a distinct lesson on some one essential point of delivery.

These five lessons have reference to some one important style of delivery, which is the especial object of study during the term.

A higher style of delivery is cultivated in each successive College term, and each term has its peculiar series of lessons.

The whole, now for the first time printed, exhibits the mode of preparing for public speaking which has been for several years established in Yale College.

RULES OF PRACTICE.

Experience has established the value of the following rules. RULE I. To secure the greatest improvement, the extracts should always be in PROSE.

The public recitation of poetry is a separate branch of elocution, and presents several difficulties which are not provided for in these lessons.

Inexperienced speakers should select for early practice, extracts from debates, orations, or pleadings of lawyers. These are easiest to speak. But as soon as some skill and experience have been gained, it is very important to practise on extracts that were not originally written to be spoken, and are interest

ing solely from the value of their thoughts and the beauty of their language.

RULE II. The extracts should be selected with reference to the value and interest of the thoughts which they express.

It is impossible to acquire a good delivery, by practising on extracts weak in matter and bombastic in style.

RULE III. The extracts should never be more than three, and often not more than two minutes in length.

Longer compositions must be studied and practised in separate portions. Different paragraphs and parts of complete compositions require different styles of delivery.

The higher the style of speaking aimed at, the shorter must be the passage to be spoken, in order to afford an opportunity for the fullest possible development and expansion of thought and feeling in delivery. Among orators of high reputation, it will be found that the higher the oratory, the fewer are the words employed, and the shorter is the discourse.

RULE IV. Each series of five lessons must be practised on the same extract.

RULE V. In practising with an instructor, each lesson should be on a separate day.

If they are all practised in succession and at one rehearsal, they will confer comparatively but little benefit.

RULE VI. Each lesson should be mastered in a short period of time.

Earnest effort, with the assistance of an instructor, will generally secure a mastery of each lesson in about five minutes. It is of the highest importance to practise vigorously for a short time, rather than feebly for a longer period. Unhesitating and prompt habits, and the ability to bring one's powers instantly into action, are essentially necessary in public speaking.

No student, however, will do himself justice in speaking, without considerable private practice. Yet even this ought in most cases to be methodical—that is, with the definite object of acquiring improved habits in respect to some particular point in delivery.

SOPHOMORE YEAR, FIRST TERM.

STYLE OF DELIVERY TO BE ACQUIRED.

This may be called BUSINESS SPEAKING. When eloquently exhibited, the eloquence will be that of natural and extemporaneous earnestness.

PRACTICAL USES OF THIS STYLE.

To command respect and secure attention.

The lowest degree of a good delivery secures these objects, whatever be the time, place or occasion. Unless by his delivery a person can at least command attention, he cannot be considered as qualified for public speaking at all.

It should be impossible for an audience to distinguish, by the delivery, whether a composition is written or extemporaneous. It is not difficult to arrive at this degree of ability in delivery. If it is attained, the discipline of the whole College course of study will certainly make the student an extemporaneous speaker.

FAULTS TO BE PREVENTED.

In general the monotonous and formal habits, which cause a speaker to seem not to believe or feel what he says.

The most important precept is, to think intensely while speaking.

When practising in private, attend to some particular quality in delivery, in order to form good habits.

But when actually addressing an audience, never think of how you are speaking, but of what you are speaking.

LESSONS.

Remarks. The lessons are of two classes. The first and second, have reference to making the sense of what is spoken INTELLIGIBLE.

The very first lesson, however, is intended to exhibit a natural and extemporaneous style of speaking. This can be effected, by strictly confining the effort to a plain and forcible exhibition of mere thought.

The two first lessons command attention, and make the delivery natural, forcible and distinct. They also discipline the voice and gesture preparatory to attempting the next, which are to be more polished and expressive.

Hence in the first lessons, no more should be attempted than can be thoroughly mastered at a single first effort. The student must defer the most interesting expression which he feels himself capable of giving, until he practises the lessons on expression. The great additional advantage will thus result, that expression, and what is most beautiful and interesting in delivery, will have a solid foundation in thought and common sense. And thus all danger of becoming theatrical will also be avoided.

The third and fourth, practise the speaker in EXPRES

SION.

The fifth lesson combines the qualities thus far acquired, into one harmonious whole.

In this lesson the speaker yields himself wholly to the impulse of thought and feeling.

The result will be an exhibition of the natural eloquence of the speaker, developed and improved by preparatory lessons in Elocution.

The distinction is always kept in view, between such elocution as is acquired merely by rule, and a spontaneous and captivating eloquence.

Though thought and feeling cannot be directly taught, yet certain modes of practice will excite them. Habits may be formed of vividness of mind in speaking. When this has been done, the very act of speaking will arouse the mind to activity, and kindle the feelings.

LESSON I.

MANLY ATTITUDE AND GESTURE-AUDIBILITY-DISTINCTNESS.

Directions.-1st. Stand simply erect. Gesture freely

to assist the voice.

Be careful to extend the arm forwards with manly freedom and heartiness.

2d. Propel the voice to the farthest extremity of the room, and give its sound a MANLY FORCE, to command respect and attention.

3d. Be deliberately DISTINCT. That is, do not suffer the words and syllables to be huddled together. This is to be done by attending to the natural grouping of the words.

Be careful to give a separate impulse of the voice to each group, yet in a smooth and natural manner.

Whenever two groups are attempted to be uttered at one impulse, the utterance will inevitably be indistinct.

In uttering each group, be careful to exert a vigorous action of the mind, to impress the idea on the audience.

Particular use is also made of this lesson to discipline the voice, so that subsequently no exertion may be necessary to enable the speaker to fill the large room in which he speaks.

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