Page:Famous Living Americans, with Portraits.djvu/32
Thus we have suggested briefly :
Some of the Values attending the preparation and presentation of these Biographical Speeches.
Some of the Peculiarities of Oral Discourse.
The Three Chief Limitations upon it, necessitating the Theme.
The Practical Use of the Theme.
The Use of the Outline.
Some of the more Helpful Qualities of Style.
Many incorrect notions about instruction in delivery obtain.
Teaching Public Speaking is not giving instruction in mimicry
III. The Delivery
1. Incorrect former Notions about the Delivery— not with sincere folk; nor is it instruction in the ventriloquism employed by the "Punch and Judy" perfomer in the side-show; nor is it
prattle about saying things this way
or that, or "splitting 'twixt the north
and northwest side" the manner of
"making" a gesture. Again, some oppose a careful study of
public discourse on the alleged ground that the study is unnecessary. They urge that if one has something to say that is
worth saying, all he has to do is to rise to his feet before an audience and say it. Surely, then, those holding this view must
go a little further, if consistent, and urge that if one has some-
thing to write worth the writing, all he has to do is to write it
— without any instruction whatever save that afforded by "innate conmion sense"; and that if someone has something to
paint worth the painting, all in the world he has to do is to
paint that something, without contact with a master ; and that
if somebody has a song worth the singing, he need only "ope
his mouth" and sing — to take instruction in singing would
be so silly withal! Now native ability, "sheer genius," oft-times achieves relative success in an art; but that fact is not
sufficient ground for cavalierly disdaining as unnecessary instruction in Public Speaking. It is but fair to state that some
of the greatest figures of history, and many of the mighty
characters of our own times, by example and by testimony give
the unanswerable answer to such nonsense.