Page:Famous Living Americans, with Portraits.djvu/37

 18 FAMOUS LIVING AMERICANS plemented with varions forms of what might be called '^ modi- fied sign language. ' ' But physical expression must be based upon thought and feeling; and since 7. Physical everything the speaker does is en- ExFBESsioN larged, magnified as it were, before the audience, this form of communication^ (a) Object if bungling, is likely to attract atten- tion to itself, and so to hinder rather than to help the message. The test of all physical expression then becomes : First, does it strengthen the thought and the ac- companying reaction on the part of the speaker? And second, does it in the slightest degree attract attention to itself f This is but stating in another way that physical expression must be based upon thought and thought-reaction, and is entirely sec- ondary to them. But the phrase ** Physical Expression" is very comprehen- sive and includes many different forms of hint, or suggestion. For illustration, the normal position is (b) PosmoN ON usually about three feet from the front Platfobm of the platform. If too far forward, the speaker suggests undue familiar- ity, lack of caution. On the other hand, if he stands more than three or four feet back from the edge of the platform, he will suggest timidity, lack of confidence in his own message, possibly an effort to deceive. The head should be up, the body (c) Posture ob erect, the shoulders square and at Attitude right angles to the audience, the arms and hands hanging at rest. Arm gesture is made from the shoulder, not from the elbow or wrist. The significance of the different positions of the hands is so varied as to preclude even (d) Gestube a brief treatment here. The '* language of the hands*' is most complex. In- telligent criticism is the only safe guide. In case of doubt as to whether a gesture should be used, it is best to omit it, prob- ably. The intensity of the delivery depends fundamentally upon