Synopsis
Knowles' Elocutionist: A First-Class Rhetorical Reader And Recitation Book, Containing The Only Essential Principles Of Elocution, Directions For Managing The Voice, Etc., Simplified And Expanded On A Novel Plan, With Numerous Pieces For Reading And Declamation, Designed For The Use Of Schools by James Sheridan Knowles. Knowles' Elocutionist is a mid-19th-century pedagogical treatise on elocution and public speaking, issued in the United States with substantial American editorial input. The work presents foundational principles of elocution—Articulation, Inflection and Modulation, Emphasis, and Gesture—along with practical guidance on delivery, pauses, breath, voice management, and the shift of tone to convey feeling. It comprises an introductory Preface, a structured Contents, and two main sections: Principles of Elocution and Lessons in Prose, Verse, and Declamation, including many classic and contemporary samples for reading and recitation in schools. The edition reflects a reformulated American approach to elocution, emphasizing natural expression over rigid “rules,” and supplying numerous exercises and example passages for classroom use. The original publication year mentioned in the text is 1844, with later republications and expansions in the ensuing decades.
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