Review of John Goldsbury and William Russell’s THE AMERICAN COMMON SCHOOL-GRAMMAR

Goldsbury, John and William Russell. THE AMERICAN COMMON-SCHOOL READER AND SPEAKER: BEING A SELECTION OF PIECES IN PROSE AND VERSE WITH RULES FOR READING AND SPEAKING. Boston: Tappan, Whittmore and Mason, 1844. 432pp.

Goldsbury and Russell’s rhetoric opens by declaring its purpose. “The design of this work is, to furnish a text-book for the systematic teaching of reading and declamation (ix).” While the text provides numerous reading selections worthy of discussion, the true strength of this volume is its lessons on elocution. In this modern age of blogs, and online classes, the art and practice of effective speaking is often lost for many students. True, many colleges offer a course on public speaking, but these college courses are not as comprehensive as this nineteenth century text. The text emphasis the following ten qualities is spoken presentation:

1. Good ‘Quality of Voice;
2. Due Quantity of loudness;
3. Distinct Articulation;
4. Correct Pronunciation;
5. True Time;
6. Appropriate Pause;
7. Right Emphasis;
8. Correct ‘Inflections’;
9. Just ‘Stress’;
10. ‘Expressive Tones’;
11. Appropriate ‘Modulation’ (Goldsbury and Russell 1).

For its discussion of elocution Goldsbury and Russell’s text would be valuable for any presenter, looking to improve his or her rhetorical qualities of voice. For teacher or composition and rhetoric, the book may serve as an inspiration for a mini-unit to raise student awareness of the study of its voice and its ability to increase a speaker’s clarity and persuasive power. ---Samuel Gordon Paley