Читать книгу Elocution Simplified - Walter K. Fobes - Страница 9

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For purposes of speech, you need to use more breath than for ordinary breathing or conversation. You therefore need to make as much room as possible for good fresh air by exercise to expand the chest. Elocution is beneficial to health for this reason.

1. Active and Passive Chest.—Your chest in its ordinary position is what, in elocution, is called passive chest. The active chest is that assumed in the standing position, where the chest is raised up slightly and expanded, with the shoulders drawn back. Practise as an exercise the active and passive chest, alternating from one to the other without breathing, or moving the shoulders. The active chest must be kept in all the physical and vocal gymnastics, and at all time during speech. With practice it will soon become established as a habit; and your every-day attitude will be more erect as a consequence.

2. Arms at Side.—Place your arms at the side, with elbows bent, so that from elbow to hand the arms are horizontal, and parallel with each other. Draw the elbows back, clinch the fist with palms up, and make chest active, keeping the back straight. Take a full breath, and hold it (see "Breathing"); then carry the arms at full length in front of you, your hands open and as high up as the shoulders; then bring them back to the position you started from, with hands clinched, palms up, and pull back with all your strength, raising the chest slightly more; then give out the breath. After some practice you may do it twice upon one breath, being sure to keep the arms as close to the body as you can; for, if you spread your arms, you will strain the muscles.

3. Fore-arm Vertical.—Assume standing position, and bend the arms, placing them vertically, and parallel with each other, at the side, with clinched hands as high as the shoulder; turn the fist out from the shoulder, raise the chest as much as you can, and, taking a full breath, hold it; bring the arms forward so as to touch the elbows together, if you can; then draw them back to first position, and pull downward and backward as hard as you can; then give out the breath. After some practice, do this twice on one breath, being sure to keep the arms and hands close to the body.

4. Full-arm Percussion.—In ordinary breathing, it is seldom you fill your lungs to their fullest capacity; and some of the air-cells are not filled, especially those at the extreme edges of the lungs. This and the following exercise are for the purpose of sending air into those portions of the lungs not ordinarily filled. Assume standing position; take a full breath, and hold it; then strike with the right hand upon the top of the left chest a very quick and very elastic blow, striking with fingers, and swinging the arm freely from its position at the side; then strike with left hand on right chest in same manner; repeat with each hand, and then give out the breath. Never strike with the flat palm or clinched fist, as that is very injurious and unhealthy.

5. Hand Percussion.—Assume standing position, and place your hands on your chest, with elbows as high as the shoulders; make chest active; take a full breath, and retain it while you strike alternately eight light elastic blows with each hand; then give out the breath.