The Beauty of Spoken Words

What makes an ordinary spoken sentence memorable? For Kishida Kunio, the answer lies beyond eloquence alone: in a person’s character, the texture of experience, the color of a voice, and the rhythm of expression.

First published in 1928, The Beauty of Spoken Words moves from everyday conversation to the actor’s craft and the emerging possibilities of radio drama. Kishida considers written and spoken language, the dangers of empty speaking technique, vocal training, regional pronunciation, facial expression, and the theater’s power to give written words living voices. His sharp comparisons and provocative judgments reveal a dramatist thinking through the foundations of performance.

This complete English translation preserves all seven sections and the essay’s vivid conversational examples. Concise notes explain historical theatrical traditions, named figures, and period assumptions. It offers an engaging account of how speech can become art, and why the imagination of a listener matters as much as the skill of a speaker.