With books beginning to record the old tales, and now television and movies having become the primary source of entertainment, storytelling has become somewhat of a lost art. But in my imagination, I can still hear the lyric sound of the old peddler's melodic voice, as it rose and fell on the tide of heroic deeds, terrible tragedies, and a joyful "happily ever after"...
...One member of the family reads, and others act as the listening audience. Let us zoom in as it were to the brain of a child as he is sitting in rapt attention to his mother's voice. We will call him Max. There is a constant frenzy of activity as Max establishes the scene in his minds eye. Each character is formulated, and to a certain extent created masterfully as the lively sound of his mother's voice relates dialogue, descriptions, and narrative. Her voice at times is hushed to a mere whisper as great and marvelous wonders are communicated. Her eye beomes sparked with fire as she dives into a tirade of heated dialogue, and Max's heart drops in dread--for those same beloved eyes have grown dull with remorse as the hero is broken in sadness. At last, as the final triumphant verbal trumpet has been sounded, the leather cover is closed softly. Max, heaving a deep sigh of contentment, leaves his former post at his mother's feet, stands, stretches, then wraps dovout arms around her neck, and says cheerily, "G'night mummy."
Please pardon the lack of context--most of you are no doubt scratching your heads, pulling your ears, and commiting all sorts of other horrid outrages. I accept the blame for this utterly and completely. The above passages are simply two from my most recent essay for English 101, and they happen to be very dear to my heart. I am rather proud of them you see.
4 comments:
Your writing talent is incredible, my last paper wasn't nearly so elioquent.
Very good, even without the context. Although I don't know what else you said, I'm sure you said it well.
And as for the topic of your paper--it sounds interesting. I am not a storyteller by any means and don't have much familiarity with storytelling. It is a necessary art, I'm sure. My great-grandfather was an excellent storyteller. Sigh. To hear him again! My grandfather (his son) knows many of his "tales" and he does pretty good telling them, but he still doesn't compare with "Pa Eck."
*giggle* It is wonderful to hear from you again my dear. This story was very touching. I tell storys to my Rebecca at night before we go to sleep. Most of the time it is about Dora the Explorer. *sigh* But every now and again I tell one about a princess.
I love story telling. I have been reading stories outloud for almost as long as I can remember but recently I have doing more storytelling without the book. I am thinking of focusing on that next in Toast Masters. Thanks for a little more inspiration. I am quite sure non my essays in English 101 were anywhere close to yours! Way to go.
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