THE PRACTICAL ELOCUTIONIST. INTRODUCTION. ELOCUTION may be defined to be the art of reading and speaking according to some established standard of excellence; and is naturally subdivided as follows: 1. Articulation and pronunciation. 2 Inflection and modulation. 3. Emphasis. 4. Gesture and Action. 1. The importance of distinct articulation and correct pronunciation, renders it incumbent upon every one aspiring to skill in elocution, to devote considerable attention at an early age to careful reading under the correction of a master, until those objects have been attained. 2. Inflection and Modulation have reference to the changes of tone, and pauses of the voice, suitable for the expression of certain ideas and passions. The inflections are three in number:-The Acute ('), the Grave (), and the Circumflex (^). The acute accent is used to represent the rising inflection, or that upward turn of the voice which we generally use at the comma, or in asking a question which begins with a verb; as, "Did he say, Nó?" The grave accent is used to denote the falling inflection, which is generally used at the colon and semicolon, and must necessarily be heard in answer to the former B question: "He did; he said, Nò." Both these inflections are found in the following passage: "Does Cæsar deserve fáme, or blame?" The slide upward, primarily, signifies suspension or incompleteness; and the downward slide, completion; the former should be used wherever the hand and eye must necessarily be elevated in action; as for example, when exalted ideas, amiable and exhilarating sentiments, or ennobling attributes are alluded to; and the latter, when the contraries of these are mentioned. The circumflex, which is subdivided into the rising and falling circumflex, is a combination of the acute and grave accents, the rising being marked thus (^); and the falling, thus (). When a syllable begins with the falling, and ends with a rising inflection, it is said to have a rising circumflex; but when it begins with a rising and ends with a falling inflection, a falling circumflex. These two forms of the circumflex are frequently used in words spoken ironically. We have examples of both in the following passage: "Hear him, my lord; he is wondrous condescending." Certain passages require a continuance of one tone through many words, and, occasionally, through lines: this is called a monotone; it is usually indicated by the mark of a long vowel, thus; and is well exemplified in the middle paragraph of the following passage from Portia's speech on mercy: PERSUASIVE ENTREATY; SOFT, MIDDLE TONE. The quality of mércy is not strain'd; SOLEMN MONOTONE; LOWER. His sceptre shows the force of témporal power, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings: RAPTURE; HIGH, STRONG TONE. But mércy is above this scépter'd sway, And earthly power doth then show líkest Gód's, Parenthetical clauses require to be spoken in a lower tone of voice, and with a more rapid utterance than the principal sentence; a slight pause both before and after the parenthesis, adds to the effect: "If there's a power above us; (And that there is, all nature cries aloud Through all her works), he must delight in virtue; ADDISON. 3. Emphasis is that peculiar stress which we lay on words when we wish to impress particularly the ideas that they represent. The more important emphatic words are-principal verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs when not used in a connective sense. The comparatively unimportant words are―auxiliary verbs, pronouns, conjunctions, connecting adverbs, prepositions, and articles. Generally, also, the names and attributes of the Deity, of persons and places, are emphatic. Emphasis is well illustrated in the following remark: I do not ásk; I demand your attention. Words are also emphatic which have an antithesis either expressed or understood, as in the following example: "And put a tongue In every wound of Cæsar, that should move It may also be laid down as a general rule respecting emphasis, that the positive member of a sentence uni |