REMARK. Whenever a habit of reading or speaking in a nasal, shrill, harsh, or rough tone of voice is contracted by the pupil, no pains should be spared in eradicating it, and in securing a clear, full, round, and flexible tone. (p.) (f.) Soft is the strain when zephyr gently blows, (sl.) (=) When Ajax strives some rocks vast weight to throw, Flies o'er the unbending corn, and skims along the main. Quick! Man the boat! Away they spring The stranger ship to aid, And loud their hailing voices ring, As rapid speed they made. All dead and silent was the earth, In deepest night it lay; The Eternal spoke Creation's word, And called to being-Day! It streamed from on high, All reddening and bright, (<) Shall man, the possessor of so many noble faculties, with all the benefits of learning and experience, have less memory, less gratitude, less sensibility to danger than the beasts! (<) Shall man, bearing the image of his Creator, sink thus low? (=) Speeds the blithe tone, and wakes an answer up In rock and forest, till the vale hath talked With all its tongues, and in the fastnesses (>) Of the far dingle, (p.) faint and (pp.) fainter heard, `He said, and on the rampart hights arrayed Campbell (3.) At length o'er Columbus slow consciousness breaks, (0°) "LAND! LAND !" cry the sailors; (f) "LAND! LAND !—he awakes,― (") He runs, yes! behold it! it blesseth his sight! The land! O dear spectacle! transport! delight! (8.) His speech was at first low-toned and slow. Sometimes his voice would deepen, (oo) like the sound of distant thunder; and anon, ('') his flashes of wit and enthusiasm would light up the anxious faces of bis hearers, (<) like the far-off lightning of a coming storm. He woke to hear his sentry's shriek, TO ARMS! they come, (f) the GREEK! the GREEK! (၀) (으) Huzza for the sea! the all-glorious sea! ("') Its might is so wondrous, its spirit so free! SECTION V. THE RHETORICAL PAUSE. RHETORICAL PAUSES are those which are frequently required by the voice in reading and speaking, although the construction of the passage admits of no grammat ical pause. These pauses are as manifest to the ear, as those which are made by the comma, semicolon, or other grammatical pauses, though not commonly denoted in like manner by any visible sign. In the following examples they are denoted thus, ( II ). EXAMPLES. 1. And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide, But through them there rolled not the breath of his pride; And cold as the spray of the rock-beaten surf. This pause is generally made before or after the utterance of some important word or clause, on which it is especially desired to fix the attention. In such cases it is usually denoted by the use of the dash (-). EXAMPLES. 2. 1. Earth's highest station ends in-" HERE HE LIES!" 3. The path of wisdom is—THE WILL OF GOD. QUESTIONS.-What are Rhetorical Pauses? What is said of this pause? Give an example. When is the Rhetorical Pause generally ade? Give examples. No definite rule can be given with reference to the length of the rhetorical, or grammatical pauses. The correct taste of the reader or speaker must determine it. For the voice should sometimes be suspended much longer at the same pause in one situation than in another; as in the two fol lowing EXAMPLES. LONG PAUSE. Fause a moment. I heard a footstep. Listen now. I heard it again but it is going from us. It sounds fainter,-still fainter. It is gone. SHORT PAUSE. John be quick. Get some water. Throw the powder overboard. "It can not be reached." Jump into the boat, then. Shove off. There goes the powder. Thank Heaven. We are safe. QUESTIONS.-Are the Rhetorical, or Grammatical Pauses always of the same length? Give examples of a Long Pause. Of a Short Pause. REMARK TO TEACHERS. It is of the utmost importance, in order to secure an easy and elegant style of utterance in reading, to refer the pupil often to the more important principles involved in a just elocution. To this end, it will be found very advantageous, occasionally to review the rules and directions given in the preceding pages, and thus early accustom him to appy them n the subsequent reading lessons. |