The Art of Public Speaking Part 17

Single Tax.

Tariff.

Honesty.

Courage.

Hope.

Love.

Mercy.

Kindness.

Justice.

Progress.

Machinery.

Invention.

Wealth.

Poverty.

Agriculture.

Science.

Surgery.

Haste.

Leisure.

Happiness.

Health.

Business.

America.

The Far East.

Mobs.

Colleges.

Sports.

Matrimony.

Divorce.

Child Labor.

Education.

Books.

The Theater.

Literature.

Electricity.

Achievement.

Failure.

Public Speaking.

Ideals.

Conversation.

The Most Dramatic Moment of My Life.

My Happiest Days.

Things Worth While.

What I Hope to Achieve.

My Greatest Desire.

What I Would Do with a Million Dollars.

Is Mankind Progressing?

Our Greatest Need.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 4: See chapter on "Increasing the Vocabulary."]

[Footnote 5: Money.]

CHAPTER XII

THE VOICE

Oh, there is something in that voice that reaches The innermost recesses of my spirit!

--LONGFELLOW, _Christus_.

The dramatic critic of The London _Times_ once declared that acting is nine-tenths voice work. Leaving the message aside, the same may justly be said of public speaking. A rich, correctly-used voice is the greatest physical factor of persuasiveness and power, often over-topping the effects of reason.

But a good voice, well handled, is not only an effective possession for the professional speaker, it is a mark of personal culture as well, and even a distinct commercial a.s.set. Gladstone, himself the possessor of a deep, musical voice, has said: "Ninety men in every hundred in the crowded professions will probably never rise above mediocrity because the training of the voice is entirely neglected and considered of no importance." These are words worth pondering.

There are three fundamental requisites for a good voice:

_1. Ease_

Signor Bonci of the Metropolitan Opera Company says that the secret of good voice is relaxation; and this is true, for relaxation is the basis of ease. The air waves that produce voice result in a different kind of tone when striking against relaxed muscles than when striking constricted muscles. Try this for yourself. Contract the muscles of your face and throat as you do in hate, and flame out "I hate you!" Now relax as you do when thinking gentle, tender thoughts, and say, "I love you."

How different the voice sounds.

In practising voice exercises, and in speaking, never force your tones.

Ease must be your watchword. The voice is a delicate instrument, and you must not handle it with hammer and tongs. Don't _make_ your voice go--_let_ it go. Don't work. Let the yoke of speech be easy and its burden light.

Your throat should be free from strain during speech, therefore it is necessary to avoid muscular contraction. The throat must act as a sort of chimney or funnel for the voice, hence any unnatural constriction will not only harm its tones but injure its health.

Nervousness and mental strain are common sources of mouth and throat constriction, so make the battle for poise and self-confidence for which we pleaded in the opening chapter.

But _how_ can I relax? you ask. By simply _willing_ to relax. Hold your arm out straight from your shoulder. Now--withdraw all power and let it fall. Practise relaxation of the muscles of the throat by letting your neck and head fall forward. Roll the upper part of your body around, with the waist line acting as a pivot. Let your head fall and roll around as you s.h.i.+ft the torso to different positions. Do not force your head around--simply relax your neck and let gravity pull it around as your body moves.

Again, let your head fall forward on your breast; raise your head, letting your jaw hang. Relax until your jaw feels heavy, as though it were a weight hung to your face. Remember, you must relax the jaw to obtain command of it. It must be free and flexible for the moulding of tone, and to let the tone pa.s.s out un.o.bstructed.

The lips also must be made flexible, to aid in the moulding of clear and beautiful tones. For flexibility of lips repeat the syllables, _mo_--_me_. In saying _mo_, bring the lips up to resemble the shape of the letter O. In repeating _me_ draw them back as you do in a grin.

Repeat this exercise rapidly, giving the lips as much exercise as possible.

Try the following exercise in the same manner:

Mo--E--O--E--OO--Ah.

After this exercise has been mastered, the following will also be found excellent for flexibility of lips: