The Canadian Elocutionist | Page 8

the hand of violence.?The strength_ of his nostrils is _terrible.?A gentle current rippled by.?Thou barb'd'st the dart by which he fell.?Arm'd, say ye? Arm'd, my lord!?He sa_wed _six sl_eek, _sl_im _s_apling_s.?It was strongly urged upon him.?Amidst_ the mi_sts_, he thru_sts_ his fi_sts_ again_st_ the po_sts. The swan swam over the sea; well swum, swan. The?swan swam back again; well swum, swan.
PRONUNCIATION AND ACCENT.
Pronunciation is the mode of enouncing certain words and syllables. As pronunciation varies with the modes and fashions of the times, it is sometimes fluctuating in particular words, and high authorities are often so much at variance, that the correct mode is hard to be determined; hence to acquire a correct pronunciation, this irregularity, whatever be the cause, must be submitted to.
Be very careful to give each letter its proper sound and avoid omitting or perverting the sound of any letter or syllable of a word, without some good authority.
The unaccentuated syllables of words are very liable to be either omitted, slurred or corrupted, and there is no word in the language more frequently and unjustly treated in this respect than the conjunction--and. It is seldom half articulated, although it is properly entitled to three distinct elementary sounds.
Heaven _a_nd earth will witness,?If Rome must fall, that we are innocent. I
The Assyrian came down, like the wolf on the fold,?And h_is cohorts were gleaming in purple _and gold.
The word and, in these and similar examples, is commonly pronounced as if written u_nd or _un, with an imperfect or partially occluded articulation of these elements; whereas, it ought always to be pronounced in such a manner that each of its own three elementary sounds, though in their combined state, may distinctly appear.
In pronouncing the phrase, "and his," not only the _a_, but the h_, is, also, frequently suppressed, and the sound of the _d is combined with that of the _i_ following it; as if written thus, u_nd _diz cohorts, and so on. Many pronounce the phrase "are innocent," in the first example, as if written a rinesunt. This practice of suppressing letters, and as it were melting words into indistinct masses, cannot be too cautiously guarded against.
Avoid the affectations and mis-pronunciations exemplified in the following list of words which are often mispronounced. Do not say--
Gi_t for g_et.?He_v " h_ave.?Ke_tch " c_atch.?Ge_th'er " g_ath'er.?Sti_d'y " st_ead'y.?Good'ni_ss " good'n_ess.?Hon'ist " hon'est.?Hun'd_u_rd " hund'red.?Sav'i_j " sav'_age.?Maw_n'ing " mo_rn'ing.?Cli'mi_t " cli'm_ate.?Si'lu_nt " si'l_ent.
Souns " soun_d_s.
Fiels " fiel_d_s.
Sof'ly " sof_t_'ly.
Kindl'st " kindl'_d_st.
Armst " arm'_d_st.
Gen'ral " gen'_e_ral.?Sep'rate " sep'_a_rate.?Mis'ries " mis'_e_ries.?Dif'frence " diff'_e_rence.?Ex'lent " ex'cellent.?Comp'ny " com'p_a_ny.?Liv'in " liv'ing.?Lenth'en " length'en.?Chastisemunt " chastisement.?Bereavemunt " bereavement.?Contentmunt " contentment.
Offis " office.
Hevun " heaven.
Curosity " curiosity.?Absolut " absolute, etc.
CHAPTER V.
QUALITIES OF VOICE.
By Quality of Voice is meant the kind of voice used to express sentiment.
There are two general divisions of quality: PURE and IMPURE. These are subdivided into Pure, Deepened or Orotund, Guttural, Tremor, Aspirate, and Falsetto qualities.
PURE QUALITY.
The Pure or Natural tone is employed in ordinary speaking or descriptive language, and is expressed with less expenditure of breath than any other quality of voice. It is entirely free from any impure vocal sound.
1.
"How calm, how beautiful a scene is this,--?When Nature, waking from her silent sleep,?Bursts forth in light, and harmony, and joy!?When earth, and sky, and air, are glowing all?With gayety and life, and pensive shades?Of morning loveliness are cast around!?The purple clouds, so streaked with crimson light,?Bespeak the coming of majestic day;--?Mark how the crimson grows more crimson still,?While, ever and anon, a golden beam?Seems darting out its radiance!?Heralds of day! where is that mighty form?Which clothes you all in splendour, and around?Your colourless, pale forms spreads the bright hues?Of heaven?--He cometh from his gorgeous couch,?And gilds the bosom of the glowing east!"
Margaret Davidson.
2.
Sweet was the sound, when oft at evening's close?Up yonder hill the village murmur rose;?There, as I passed with careless steps and slow?The mingling notes came softened from below;?The swain responsive as the milk-maid sung,?The sober herd that lowed to meet their young;?The noisy geese that gabbled o'er the pool,?The playful children just let loose from school;?The watch-dog's voice that bayed the whispering wind,?And the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind;?These all in sweet confusion sought the shade,?And filled each pause the nightingale had made.?But now the sounds of population fail,?No cheerful murmurs fluctuate