Elocution

 

 My mother was born in 1890 and her generation growing up had to entertain themselves. They performed amateur theatricals in their parishes, many homes had a piano in the parlor and they practiced "elocution". Some of the recitations were named "The Face on the Barroom Floor" and "The Dukite Snake". Believe it or not I found these "poems" on Google. My own experience with elocution was solitary. As a student in a Christian Brothers prep school I was urged by a teacher I respected to enter the school elocution contest. He rehearsed me one on one as I did a reading and memorization of Marc Antony's oration at Caesar's funeral - the opening of which I can still recall word for word. The other entrants in the contest were four drama students who had performed in student plays and were very comfortable on the stage. But I then learned that I could not use my rehearsal speech and was assigned a new reading - "The Deathbed of Benedict Arnold." I now had to switch my delivery from a Roman general to a disgraced Colonial general. This presentation was to be delivered before the entire student body.  On the appointed day I did my best - drawing a few blanks but pressing on - with sweating palms and knees knocking - and exited stage left to polite applause - but no eggs or tomatoes were thrown. Needless to say, I came in fifth but always thanked that Christian Brother for pushing me beyond my expectations.
tjs
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