ARTICULATION.

Articulation is the act of uttering the elementary sounds, either separately or together in syllables.

One meaning of the word articulate is to join or unite, and the meaning of articulation as used in elocution is to utter words so as to exhibit every joint, i. e., elementary sound.

A vowel by itself is easily sounded, and a syllable containing one vowel and one consonant usually presents no difficulty; but where two, three, or more consonants are joined with a single vowel, considerable effort is sometimes necessary to articulate them correctly.

Illustrations.-Well, twelve, twelfth, twelfths; read, breadth, breadths.

The accented syllable of a long word may be in such a position as to render articulation very difficult.

Examples.- Dis' so lu ble, ex'e cra ble, for' mi da ble.

The repetition of the same or similar sounds increases the difficulty of articulation.

Examples. With this speech. This is a last surprise.

In the last two examples we may articulate so poorly as to change the meaning; as, With his peach. This is alas surprise.

A faulty articulation can be much improved by pronouncing words in a whisper.

This exercise does away with the use of loud speaking to counteract a poor articulation. As soon as we understand that words are made up principally of consonants, and that consonants have little or no sound of themselves, we see the importance of forming them correctly.

Suggestion. Let the class practice occasionally upon the consonants, using such exercises as the following:

Another excellent exercise is to separate words into their elements, and then put them together again.

From what has been said, we may derive the following rules in regard to articulation:

I. Every sound in a word, whether vowel or consonant, should be pronounced.

II. Each syllable of a word should be pronounced distinctly.

III. The words in a sentence should be separated from one another.

The careless habit of running words together in reading is very easily corrected by reading the words of a sentence backward. By the latter method each word is separated rather more widely from its successor than is necessary in direct reading.

EXPRESSION.

Expression includes in its treatment the consideration of Tone of Voice, Rate or Movement, Force, Pitch, Emphasis, Pauses, Inflection, and Modulation.

TONE OF VOICE.

Tone, or Quality, of Voice is the kind of sound, used in reading or speaking; as, a full tone, a quiet tone, or a loud tone.

The Tone should be in harmony with the thoughts expressed. sentiment.

In other words, Tone is regulated by

If the feelings to be expressed are quiet in their nature, the tone of voice will be quiet; if the sentiment is joyous, the tone will be full and clear. Horror requires a harsh, unnatural tone; fear, a suppressed tone, scarcely above a whisper.

The Conversational Tone of Voice is that used in expressing quiet or unemotional thoughts.

In speaking of a lesson as requiring to be read in a conversational tone, we mean that the conversational tone is the prevailing tone used. A change of tone for a few lines may occur in any reading lesson; but need not be taken into account in speaking of the general tone of the piece.

EXAMPLES

OF

CONVERSATIONAL TONE.

It was the time when lilies blow,
And clouds are highest up in air,
Lord Ronald brought a lily-white doe
To give to his cousin, Lady Clare.

From "Lady Clare," by TENNYSON.

To read with attention, exactly to define the expressions of our author, never to admit a conclusion without comprehending its reason, often to pause, reflect, and interrogate ourselves,- these are so many advices which it is easy to give, but difficult to follow.

From "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," by GIBBON.

"Sit down, Mr. Nickleby," said Squeers. a-breakfasting, you see!"

Nicholas did not see that any body was breakfasting, except Mr. Squeers; but he bowed with all becoming reverence, and looked as cheerful as he could.

From "Nicholas Nickleby," by DICKENS.

Suggestion.- Each member of the class should be required to furnish one or more short examples under each topic of Expression. Independent work will insure substantial progress.

A Full Tone of Voice is used to express such sentiments as great joy, sublimity, lofty courage, reverential fear, exultation, and others of a similar nature.

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
From 'Death of the Old Year," by TENNYSON.

When the world is dark with tempests,

When thunder rolls and lightning flies,

Thou lookest forth in thy beauty from the clouds,
And laughest at the storm.

From "Ossian," by MACPHERSON.

Hail universal Lord, be bounteous still
To give us only good; and if the night
Have gather'd aught of evil, or conceal'd,
Disperse it, as now light dispels the dark.

From "Paradise Lost," by MILTON.

Proceed, plot, conspire, as thou wilt, - there is nothing thou canst contrive, propose, attempt, which I shall not promptly be made aware of. Thou shalt soon be convinced that I am even more active in providing for the preservation of the state, than thou in plotting its destruction.

From "Oration I. against Cataline," by CICERO.

The Middle Tone of Voice is adapted to the expression of sentiments not conversational, and yet too moderate in their nature to require a full tone.

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,

From the seas and the streams;

I bear light shade for the leaves when laid

In their noonday dreams.

From my wings are shaken the dews that waken
The sweet birds, every one.

From "The Cloud," by SHELLEY.

Between the dark and the daylight,
When night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations,
That is known as the children's hour.

From The Children's Hour," by LONGFELLOW.

The easy chair, all patched with care,
Is placed by the cold hearth-stone,
With witching grace, in the old fire-place,
The evergreens are strewn;

And pictures hang on the whitened wall,

And the old clock ticks in the cottage hall.

Remark. - Almost any quiet sentiment may find utterance in a middle tone of voice. Meditation, soliloquy, quiet pleasure, and happiness, are expressed incorrectly if given with a full tonethey are exaggerated and appear unnatural; again, if given in a conversational tone, they are lacking in fullness of expression.

The size of a room affects in a measure the tone of voice used. A large room requires more volume of voice than a small room; and for this reason, the conversational tone in a large room would be discarded for the middle or even the full tone.

The Calling Tone of Voice is used in loud exclamations, in addressing persons at a distance, and in unbridled passion.

Properly speaking, the Calling Tone is only a Full Tone used spasmodically. The name is used in this book simply for the sake of convenience. A pleasing substitute for the Calling Tone in a small room is a quiet utterance in imitation of an echo,calling tones as they would sound a long distance away.