Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1889-05-27
READING.

| meet the difficulties In their way witt
:. a determination to overcome them
/ 10 read well is not a natural endow
ment; but some through early trainin.
and opportunities find tie road to sue
cess much easier than Others who Sc
trouble with some impedinent of speecl
or whose early training has been def
eient or eronlous. It is always .mer
| difficult to correct ii bad la bit, than t
begin at the foundation aud learn t,
apply the principles Of goo'i reading a
you advance in your course of training
When we consider the pleasure ant
satisfaction to ourselves of readln.
Well, it is worth all the patient discl
pine that we must undergo to attain
it. But yet higher and more nohl,
| than mere selfish ambition is the abil
Iity to entertain and instruct others
We ought then to be good ,eaders FOL
our own enjoyment as wella as the pleas
ure for our feilownen. 1t is evident
that the ability to read well for other.
requires more diversity of talent thar
to read only for our own enjoyment
In the one case the purpose IS to get 8
clear and lucid understanding of the
meaning of the author for ones self; il
the other TO convey that meaning te
others. the one the understanding
is principally brought intoplay to know
the meaning of words ard apply the
principles of analysis, to note the diff
terent shades of thought and expires
sicn; but in the other there is added t.
this the ability to convey these ideas
70 others hy the different modula ton,
Of lie voice and gestures.
In our treatment of the subject W,
Will confine ourselves to the art of pub
tic reading, believing 1t includes alsc
the more limited ability to read fol
ones own personal enjoyment. It seem,
that the first qualification of a gooc
reader is the power to use the eve
Alright. The reader has to do will
language IN the form of sentences
The first glance of the eye must com
prehend the sentence as whole. thel
the sentence IN all its component parts
the peculiar relation which any word OF
adjunct bears to every othe. in The sen
tence. So flexible is the English Ian
gua9e In its construction, so varied arr
the arrangement of sentences by diff
ferent authors, tnat it requi IS botl
eyes open and even on the alert t,
take in at lance the whole construc
ton. As the expert performer in mu
sic Is able to take in the entire schort
at glance, so the eye of the reader
must view the sentence. The second
qualification is the power of ANALYSIS
Every reader, like the dissecting sur
geon, must in his mind tear all tn,
parts of the sentence to pieces, to Sc,
the peculiar relation Of each part t,
the whole sentence and then recon
struct them SO as to give his hearers
the complete meaning of the author
The meaning of sentenceis is often con
veyed by the position of its dcpenden
parts and for this reason the readel
cannot be too careful in observing tb,
shade of thought intended to be con
veyed by the peculiar construction of tbs
sentence. Closely allied to this thought
OF analysis isexpression threading. Tn,
light and shades of thought may b.
Varied in the same sentence by tn,
mere force of expression. SO the readeI
more than the author has the power tt
vary the meaning of sentence. b,
reading it in a proper or improper
manner. Language which may have
seemed dull and meaningless 10 us, ma,
be maize to glow with light anl sparkle
with jewels OF truth in the jr,nds of a
good reader. Usually too | tile atten
ton IS gwen to expression il the school
room. Good reading is more than the
hunl-drum method ef calling ont the
words. If we could g4. our scholars
to enter heartily into the meaning and
spirit of the author and make the Ian
guage and thoughts Their own, it would
give life and energy to the exerciss and
relieve it from the unpleasant and irk.
some duty it too often becomes
Another requirement to good rea,lino
and that Is the cultivation of the voice
Upon this depends much Of the pleas
ure and enjoyment of listening to tho
reader. Though he may possess al
other qualifications, if the voice be
harsh and grating, or if there is lack
Of properemphasis and infection, much
OF the pleasure of listening is DESTROYED
There must be stress and volume ot
voice, and yet so produced, as to SOUND
sweet and musical The best results
in the cultivation cf the voice can onl,
be attained by careful training of tn,
vocal organs, such as exercises If
breathing, thorough drill in the ora
elementary sounds and classroom prac
tice in reading.