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EXERCISES IN EMPHASIS.

Emphasis, as properly defined by Dr. Rush, in his Philosophy of the Voice, and, indeed, as is implied in the very etymology of the term, is not a mere comparative force of accent only, but a concentration of several or of many expressive elements of vocal sound, upon one element or syllable. The comparative force does, no doubt, exist; but its use is to embody and impress the effect of the rest. Thus, if we select, as an example, the reply of Death to Satan, “ Back to thy punishment! false fugitive," we shall find that the first of the emphatic words, while

* True rhythm extends itself not only from clause to clause, but from sentence to sentence, and from paragraph to paragraph, and even to the long quadruple pause which follows the close of a piece or discourse. One of the faults in elocution by which the pulpit is sometimes degraded. is the business-like dispatch with which the minister passes from the last word of his sermon to the formula that follows. -as if his purpose were to obliterate, as quickly as possible, the effect of his discourse.Paragraph pauses are usually double the length of those of periods. Double paragraph pauses are the proper distinctions of the heads of discourse and these ought to be doubled, if referred to as a definite measure for the pause which should follow an entire discourse.

it is intensely forcible, derives much of its effect from "explosive" utterance and "radical stress," from "aspirated pectoral and guttural quality," from "low pitch," "falling inflection," or "downward slide," and "rapid movement," or "brief time;" and that if we subtract some or even any one of these properties, the exclamation sounds as if divested, more or less, of emphasis.

Emphasis may be regarded as classed under the following designations: "empassioned," or "absolute," as in the above example, -" unempassioned" or "intellectual," as in "designation," distinction," or "discrimination," "correspondence," "contrast," and "preference," or "choice."

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Examples.

Empassioned Emphasis.

"Wò is me! for I dwell among a people of unclean lips."

"Grace! 'tis a charming sound" "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die."*

Unempassioned Emphasis.

Designation. "The supreme love of God is the duty enjoined in the text."

Contrast. "The former is a blind and noisy applause, the latter, a more silent and intèrnal homage."

. Correspondence. "As ye sów, so shall ye rèap." "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God!"

Preference. "Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a stalled óx, and hatred therewith." t

* Additional examples, in large numbers, may be selected from any or all of the preceding exercises which express strong emotion.

† More examples may be found for practice, in the exercises on "inflection." The emphasis will, in these cases, be found coïncident with the accent indicating the slides of the voice,

EXERCISES IN "EXPRESSION."

"Expression," in elocution, as in music, is the term used to indicate the effect of feeling, in utterance. Thus, the learner enunciates words without "expression," when endeavoring to read, and still laboring under the difficulty of combining the sounds of syllables: the finished reader gives "expression," or throws feeling into what he reads. Expression," therefore, in elocution, implies the ut terance of emotion in all its characteristic properties of "quality," of voice, "force," "stress," "pitch," "inflection," "melody," "movement," "time,"—or "quantity,” "rhythm," and "pause,”—“emphasis."

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When "expression" is regarded in consecutive passages, it is termed "variation," or, arbitrarily,—but not correctly,-"modulation."*

The following exercises should be assiduously practised, till every property of utterance, mentioned in each designation, is combined, in full effect, on its example.

Awe.

"Pectoral Quality," " Aspirated" Utterance,t" Suppressed" Force, "Median Stress," "Lowest" Pitch, "Monotone," " Slowest Movement," Long Pauses.

Stanza. - Translated by Bowring.

"Thou breathest; — and the obedient storm is still:

Thou speakest; - silent the submissive wave:

Man's shattered ship the rushing waters fill,
And the hushed billows roll across his grave!

* The terms “key” and “modulation,” though in frequent use with reference to elocution, belong exclusively to music; as there are no correspondent facts, in speech and reading, to those which justify these designations in music. See Dr. Rush's just observations on this point.

†The deep resonance of the voice in the chest, and an "impure" or breathing quality of voice, in which we hear the whispering effect of the breath mingling, more or less, with the sounds which are uttered.

Sourceless and endless God! compared with Thee,
Life is a shadowy, momentary dream:
And time, when viewed through thy eternity,
Less than the mote of morning's golden beam!"

Awe and Fear.

"Expression" as before, but with more "aspiration," and extremely low note.

Extract from Job IV.

V. 13. "In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, (14.) Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. 15. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up: 16. It stood still: but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes; there was silence; and I heard a voice, saying, (17.) Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his Maker?"*

Awe, Solemnity, and Tranquillity.
"Orotund and Pectoral Quality."

Evening in the Grave-yard.- Anon.

"The moon is up; the evening star
Shines lovely, from its home of blue;
The fox howl's heard on the fell afar,

And the earth is robed in a sombre hue;
From the shores of light the beams come down
On the river's brink and cold grave-stone,

"The kindling fires o'er heaven so bright,
Look sweetly out from yon azure sea;
While the glittering pearls of the dewy night,
Seem trying to mimic their brilliancy;-

*For farther practice on examples of awe, selections may be made from previous exercises under the same designation of emotion.

Yet all these charms no joy can bring
To the dead, in the cold grave slumbering.

"To numbers wild, yet sweet withal,

Should the harp be struck o'er the sleepy pillow; Soft as the murmuring breezy fall

Of sighing winds on the foaming billow; For who would disturb, in their silent bed, The fancied dreams of the lowly dead?

"Oh! is there one in this world can say

That the soul exists not after death?

That the powers which illumine this mould of clay
Are but a puff of common breath?
Oh! come this night to the grave, and see
The sleepy sloth of your destiny.

"The night's soft voice, in breathings low,
Imparts a calm to the breast of the weeper:
The water's dash and murmuring flow

No more shall soothe the ear of the sleeper,
Till He who slept on Judah's plains,
Shall burst death's cold and icy chains.

"I've seen the moon gild the mountain's brow, I've watched the mists o'er the river stealing; But ne'er did I feel in my breast, till now,

So deep, so calm, and so holy a feeling: 'Tis soft as the thrill which memory throws Athwart the soul in the hour of repose.

"Thou Father of all! in the worlds of light,
Fain would my spirit aspire to Thee;
And, through the scenes of this gentle night,
Behold the dawn of eternity:

For this is the path which thou hast given,
The only path to the bliss of heaven."

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