we must increase the force in proportion to the importance of the ideas to be expressed. Thus, If I were an American, as I am an Englishman, while a foreign troop remained in my country, I NEVER would lay down my arms · never, NEVER, NEVER! Stress is the manner of applying emphatic force in the utterance of a syllable. The term stress, as distinguished from "force " in general, is used to denote the mode in which force is rendered impressive in single sounds. Says Russell, "The force of utterance in a sentence may be on one phrase, or even on a single word. In the pronunciation of a word, it may be exclusively on one syllable. In the enunciation of a syllable, the organic force may lie chiefly on a single letter. In the sound of a letter, the force of the voice may lie conspicuously on the first or on the last part of the sound, on the middle, or on both extremes, or it may be distributed with an approach to equalizing force over all parts of the sound." The three principal varieties of stress are: 1. Initial (or radical), with the force applied at the beginning of a vowel. 2. Median, in which there is an increase of force towards the middle of a vowel. 3. Final, with the force applied at the close of a vowel. These three modes of stress correspond respectively to the diminuendo, swell, and crescendo, in music. We may use the greatest force at the beginning of the word. To indicate this we use the mark >. An instance of this way of applying the force is found where we laugh out heartily, На ! Ha ! Ha ! If we now bring out the greatest amount of force in the middle of the word, we mark it 0000ი as The most intense feeling or enthusiasm is gener ally expressed by making the last part of the word the loudest. Exercise. MEDIUM. Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Let us, then, be up and doing, SOFT. Flow, softly flow, by lawn and lea, No more by thee my steps shall be, Poor little Binny Wallace! How strange it seemed, when I went to school again, to see that empty seat in the fifth row! One day a folded sheet slipped from my algebra: it was the last note he ever wrote me. Poor little Binny Wallace! Always the same to me! The rest of us have grown up into hard, worldly men; but you are for ever young. Always a little boy, always poor little Binny Wallace! The loud wind dwindled to a whisper low, LOUD. Stand! the ground's your own, my braves! What's the mercy despots feel? Read it on yon bristling steel! Ask it, ye who will! The war, then, must go on. We must fight it through. And since the war must go on, why put off longer the Declaration of Independence? Come one! come all! this rock shall fly From its firm base as soon as I. Make way for liberty! This day, this hour, Annihilates the oppressor's power! All Switzerland is in the field: She will not fly, she can not yield, She must not fall. Jump far out, boy, into the wave! Jump, or I fire! On, ye brave, Who rush to glory or the grave! II. TIME. Time is the degree of rapidity in the rate of utterance. The three principal rates of utterance are: 1. Medium; 2. Slow; 3. Rapid. The medium rate is used in the utterance of unimpassioned speech, — that is, when the general character of the piece does not involve the emotions, or feelings. The slow rate is used in the utterance of such sentiments and mental states as: solemnity and dignity; deliberation and doubt; grief; and tranquillity. The rapid rate is used in the utterance of such emotions as cheerfulness, mirth, and gayety; raillery; anger, hate, and ferocity; and excited states generally. Exercise. MEDIUM. Yet beautiful and bright he stood, As born to rule the storm; A creature of heroic blood, A proud though childlike form. O'er all the peaceful world the smile of heaven lies. SLOW. The curfew tolls the knell of parting day; The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea; The plowman homeward plods his weary way, Slowly and sadly we laid him down, From the field of his fame fresh and gory: RAPID. Storm! storm! Riflemen, form! He woke to hear his sentries shriek,- As lightnings from the mountain cloud. And rushing and flushing and brushing and gushing, And flapping and rapping and clapping and slapping, And curling and whirling and purling and twirling, Advancing and glancing and prancing and dancing,— 'Tis this way the water comes down at Lodore. Under the element of "time are included QUANTITY and PAUSES. The former may be briefly treated: the latter is of great importance. Quantity determines the character of a syllable, as long, short, or neutral, by regarding its power of being prolonged in pronunciation. |