FACIAL EXPRESSION

Up to this point, only incidental reference has been made to one of the most important phases of gesture: facial expression. This phase is of the greatest significance because there is no one element of gesture which furnishes as unmistakable and effective an indication of the speaker's thought and feeling as does the expression of the mouth and eyes. The firm-set mouth and flashing eye speak more clearly than a torrent of words; the smile is as good as, or better than, a sentence in indicating good humor; the sneering lip, the upraised brow, or the scowl need no verbal commentary. And so one might continue to list these expressions, but they are too well known to warrant it.

What I wish to emphasize is the great desirability of using facial expression either alone or in conjunction with manual gestures to display the attitude of the speaker. He should not try to keep the face immobile throughout an address. That style of delivery usually tends to bore the audience and leave it cold. If a speaker has occasion to say, for example, "My opponent's entire case is a fabric of lies

and misrepresentations," he should not let the hand alone express his condemnation. He should let the features do their part, just as he would if he were constrained to call a man a liar in the privacy of his study or office. Of course, facial expression, like other forms of gesture, ought not to be overdone, "for in the very torrent, tempest, and as I may say, whirlwind of passion you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smooth

to

But the majority of speakers tend express too little with the face rather than too much. And yet there are constant opportunities to add to the effectiveness of public address by this means. It may be the faint smile which shows pleasure in depicting a beautiful scene; the straightened mouth line which indicates a determined attitude of mind; the wide-eyed suggestion of wonder or interrogation; the pursed-up lips of contempt; or the blazing eyes of indignation. In short, it may be any one of a score of facial expressions which one uses in everyday affairs, and which should likewise be employed on the platform to give vitality, reality, and convincingness to the speaker's message.

POSITIONS OF THE SPEAKER

Normal Position. The speaker should stand erect, with the chest square to the audience. For the sake of ease and poise, one foot should be advanced three or four inches and turned slightly outward so that the heel points approximately toward the instep of the back foot. In unimpassioned speech the weight should rest mainly on the back foot. In especially intense or emphatic passages the weight will be thrown upon the forward foot, since this position brings the speaker into closer relation with his listeners and expresses a greater degree of vital enthusiasm.

Shifting the Position. In reversing the position of the feet, one should be lifted slightly and moved directly forward or backward so that they may occupy the same relative position as before. A step which is too high or too long, which swings out of a direct line or requires a shuffling adjustment tends to attract attention and is, therefore, objectionable.

When the speaker wishes to make a shift of several steps to the right or left oblique, he should take decided, not shuffling, steps, and by starting with the foot on the side of the

new position avoid an awkward crossing of the feet. In order to do this it may sometimes be necessary first to shift the weight. This marked change of position is ordinarily made when one is starting a new topic or phase of a topic, but it should not be unduly accentuated by occurring during a pause in the speaking. The change should be made as the new topic opens.

Position of the Arms and Hands at Rest. When not engaged in gesture, the arms and hands should rest at the sides. Folding the arms, clasping the hands, putting them into the pockets, or placing them upon the hips, while not altogether objectionable in an informal address as an occasional variation from the normal position, should be generally avoided. Such positions tend to call attention to themselves, to distract from the thought of the discourse. The proper position may at first seem uncomfortable or awkward to some speakers, but that notion is due either to imagination or habits of incorrectness, and should not be permitted to interfere with the acquiring of the position which is generally recognized as most graceful and dignified.

PART II

POSITIONS AND FORMS OF THE HAND WITH THEIR GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

POSITIONS OF THE HAND

THE positions of the hand may be indicated with reference to six distinct planes of gesture, each having a fairly definite significance.

The high plane gestures are those in which the stroke terminates above the shoulder line. They express, in general, physical, mental, or emotional elevation.

The low plane gestures terminate at or below the waist line. They indicate lowness in a physical, mental, or emotional sense.

The middle plane gestures are those terminating approximately on a level with the speaker's chest. They are used in connection with all references to material objects on a level with the speaker, broadly understood, and with