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.
And let me touch those curving claws of yellow ivory; and grasp the tail that like a monstrous asp coils round your heavy velvet paws.
His laughter tinkled among the teacups.
The sadness of the incomplete, the sadness that is often Life, but should never be Art.
I'm a songwriter, and people will tell you the greatest stories about their lives, whether you want to hear it or not.
Charred bits of black silk swirl into the air, and pearls clatter to the stage… I’m in a dress of the exact design of my wedding dress, only it’s the color of coal and made of tiny feathers. Wonderingly, I lift my long, flowing sleeves into the air, and that’s when I see myself on the television screen. Clothed in black except for the white patches on my sleeves. Or should I say my wings. Because Cinna had turned me into a mockingjay.
I wrote my first novel and my second novel in Chicago. It was the place where I became a writer. It's my favorite city.
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