Delsarte System of Oratory eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 452 pages of information about Delsarte System of Oratory.

Delsarte System of Oratory eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 452 pages of information about Delsarte System of Oratory.

Criterion of the Profile of the Lips.

          SPECIES. 1 3 2

II           1-II          3-II           2-II
Ecc.-conc.    Norm.-conc.     Conc.-conc.
III          1-III        3-III          2-III
Ecc.-norm.    Norm.-norm.     Conc.-norm.
I            1-I          3-I            2-I
Ecc.-ecc.     Norm.-ecc.      Conc.-ecc.

Here the profile of the lower lip indicates the genus, and the profile of the upper lip belongs to the species.

Criterion of the Profile of the Nose.

SPECIES. 1 3 2

II 1-II 3-II 2-II
Ecc.-conc.  Norm.-conc.  Conc.-conc.

III 1-III. 3-III. 2-III. 
Ecc.-norm.  Norm.-norm.  Conc.-norm.

I            1-I.         3-I.          2-I. 
Ecc.-ecc.     Norm.-ecc.     Conc.-ecc.

For surety of diagnosis the lips must be taken in unison with the nose and forehead, as may be seen in the following chart.

Chapter VI.

Of the Torso.

The torso includes the chest, and shares the shoulder movements with the arms.

The Chest.—­There are three chest attitudes, eccentric, concentric and normal.

1.  If the chest is greatly dilated, this is the eccentric state—­the military attitude, the sign of energy.

2.  The normal, when the chest is in a state more homogeneous, less contentious, more sympathetic, as in the statue of Antinous.

3.  The concentric, when the chest is hollow, with the shoulders elevated and inclining forward.

The convex eccentric chest is the sign of the agent, or of him who gives.

The convex concentric chest or the pathetic, is the sign of the sufferer, or of him who receives.

The chest drawn in with the shoulders elevated, is the expression of the sublime.

From these three positions, the eccentric, the concentric and the normal, are derived nine degrees or species.  Thus in each of these genera, the torso is inclined toward the speaker, or away from him, hence we have three times three, or nine, or the triple accord.

[Illustration:  Criterion of the Face.]

The chest need not be lowered; it is here that all the energy concentrates.

The Shoulders.—­Every sensitive, agreeable or painful form is expressed by an elevation of the shoulders.  The shoulders are the thermometer of the sensitive and passional life.  If a man’s shoulders are raised very decidedly, we may know that he is decidedly impressed.

The head tells us whether this impression is joyous or sorrowful.  Then the species belongs to the head, and the genus to the shoulder.

If the shoulder indicates thirty degrees, the head must say whether it is warmth or coldness.  The face will specify the nature of the sorrow or joy whose value the shoulders have determined.

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Delsarte System of Oratory from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.