The Canadian Elocutionist | Page 8

_sh_ine, flu_shed.
T " " " t_ake, oa_t_s, i_t.
TH " " " th_in,
tru_th_, mon_ths.
WH " " " wh_en, _wh_ich, _what.
There are many words in which there are difficult combinations of the
elements; they, as well as those in which the combinations are easy,
should be practiced upon until the pupil is able to articulate each
element correctly. The following is a table of the analysis of words, in
which there are easy and difficult combinations of elements. Let the
pupil spell the words, uttering separately each element, and not the
name of the word, as is the practice which generally obtains in our
schools.
Table of the Analysis of Words.
WORDS. ELEMENTS.
ale, a-l.
day, d-a.
fame, f-a-m.
crew, k-r-u.
call, k-a-l.
deeds,
d-e-d-z.

wool, w-u-l.
isle, i-l.
dare, d-a-r.
ink, i-ng-k.
pause,
p-a-z.
mow, m-o.
lose, l-o-z.
pray, p-r-a.
spell, s-p-e-l.
twists,
t-w-i-s-t-s.
waste, w-a-s-t.
awful, a-f-u-l.
up, u-p.
mouths,
m-ou-th-z.
sky, s-k-i.
lamb, l-a-m.
oak, o-k.
eve, e-v.
once,
w-u-n-s.
awe, a.
power, p-ou-u-r.
mulcts, m-u-l-k-t-s.
John,
d-gh-a-n.
objects, o-b-d-jh-e-k-ts.
thousandth, th-ou-z-a-n-d-th.

wives, w-i-v-z.
softness, s-o-f-t-n-e-s.
shrugged, sh-r-u-g-d.

themselves, th-e-m-s-e-l-v-z.
church, t-sh-u-r-t-sh.
They were wrenched by 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