PANTOMIME, n. A play in which the story is told without violence to the language. The least disagreeable form of dramatic action.
Interpretation
Pantomime is a form of storytelling that relies on gestures and expressions rather than spoken words, conveying emotion without linguistic violence.
In the quote by Ambrose Bierce, pantomime is described as a performance art that communicates a narrative through non-verbal means, emphasizing the idea that it can convey complex emotions without the potential harshness or disagreeableness associated with language. This highlights the beauty and efficacy of visual storytelling, suggesting that action and expression can convey feelings and stories powerfully and gracefully.
In practice
In a theater class, a teacher might use this quote to illustrate the importance of non-verbal communication in performance.
PALM, n. A species of tree . . . of which the familiar "itching palm" ("Palma hominis") is most widely distributed . . . . This noble vegetable exudes a kind of invisible gum, which may be detected by applying to the bark a piece of gold or silver.
Human nature is pretty well balanced; for every lacking virtue there is a rough substitute that will serve at a pinch--as cunning is the wisdom of the unwise, and ferocity the courage of the coward.
Indigestion: A disease which the patient and his friends frequently mistake for deep religious conviction and concern for the salvation of mankind. As the simple Red Man of the Western Wild put it, with, it must be confessed, a certain force: 'Plenty well, no pray; big belly ache, heap God.'
Disobey n:To celebrate with an appropriate ceremony the maturity of a command
NOUMENON, n. That which exists, as distinguished from that which merely seems to exist, the latter being a phenomenon. The noumenon is a bit difficult to locate; it can be apprehended only by a process of reasoning - which is a phenomenon.
PARDON, v. To remit a penalty and restore to the life of crime. To add to the lure of crime the temptation of ingratitude.
There is always shame in the creation of an expressive work, whether it's a book or a clay pot. Every artist worries about how they will be seen by others through their work. When you create, you aspire to do justice to yourself, to remake yourself, and there is always the fear that you will expose the very thing that you hoped to transform.
Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.
I remember the first year at the Game Developers Conference I wore these big red giant knee-high boots. Nobody cared. You can wear anything you love, because that's what you do in games. You make yourself who you want to be.
I love films that make you feel something but also deliver that payload behind jokes.
Most people do not believe in anything very much and our greatest poetry is given to us by those who do.
Mention the gothic, and many readers will probably picture gloomy castles and an assortment of sinister Victoriana. However, the truth is that the gothic genre has continued to flourish and evolve since the days of Bram Stoker, producing some of its most interesting and accomplished examples in the 20th century - in literature, film and beyond.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.