Absolute Emphasis belongs to words naturally important to the meaning; as, "We have not long to live." "The sun begins to rise.” "He never said that."

In the last example given, the meaning of the sentence will be changed if we emphasize each of the different words

He never said that.
He never said that.
He never said that.

He never said that.

(Some one else said it.)

(At no time in his life.)
(He may have thought it.)
(It was something else he said.)

If there is any doubt as to which words in a sentence are emphatic, we must carefully consider the meaning of the sentence as affected by the sentences which precede and follow it.

Relative Emphasis belongs to words which gain importance through contrast with other words; as, “Yesterday, hope animated every breast; now we find ourselves in the depths of despair.”

The words "yesterday" and "now," "hope" and despair," have added to the emphasis naturally belonging to them, the special emphasis due to their contrasted meaning.

Emotional Emphasis is given to words which express a depth of feeling not belonging to them in unimpassioned discourse:

1. By increasing the force when the same word is repeated; as, “I never would lay down my arms-never, NEVER, NEVER !”

"He was

2. By prolonging the sounds of words; as, a squ-e-e-z-ing, wr-e-nch-ing, gr-a-sp-ing, scr-a-p-ing, cl-u-tch-ing, co-v-et-ous, o-ld sin-ner."

The example just given is called an elocutionary climax. There should be increased force given to each of the words as they follow one another.

3. By loud exclamations; as, Victory!" Hurra!" "A horse, a horse! my kingdom for a horse!"

4. By stopping between words; as, "Cæsar paused on the bank of the Rubicon. Why | did | he | pause? Why does a man's heart | palpitate |, when he is on the point of committing an unlawful | deed?"

This last mode of emphasis shows the force that can be added to what we say by making such pauses as will aid in giving thoughts their full importance. The use of too many or too long pauses will, however, overdo the effect of emphasis and ruin the force of expression.

PAUSES.

The Pauses used in reading are either to make the meaning clear, or to emphasize certain words or phrases. The former are called Grammatical Pauses ; the latter, Rhetorical Pauses.

The Grammatical Pauses-period, colon, semicolon, and commaare written in all cases where the sense would be obscure without them.

Rhetorical Pauses are used to add emphasis to certain words or phrases; as, "This is my answer: Not that I loved Cæsar | less, but that I loved Rome more."

Rhetorical Pauses occur:

1. After an emphatic subject; as, "This is my answer."

2. Before any emphatic word; as, "Now, | now is the time for action! We must conquer, or die."

The rhetorical pause before "now" calls special attention to the time; that before "die" to the dreadful alternative. The speaker's evident reluctance to say "die" raises expectation on the part of his hearers, and thus makes the word more emphatic.

The Casural Pause occurs either at or near the middle of every line of poetry, and is used to rest the voice and to mark the rhythm (flow) of the

measure.

EXAMPLE.

There is a land of every land the pride,
Beloved by heaven | o'er all the world beside;
Where brighter suns dispense serener light,
And milder moons | emparadise the night.

MONTGOMERY.

In solemn measure, the casural pause occurs after the middle of each line; and in lively measure, before the middle of each line. When the lines of poetry are very short, the casural pause is sometimes placed after each line.

INFLECTION.

Inflection is a bending or turning of the voice at the close of a syllable or word.

The rising inflection, marked thus ('), is a turning of the voice upward; the falling inflection, marked thus (`), is a turning of the voice downward.

EXAMPLES.

"Hear ye yon lion' roaring in his den'?

'Tis three days since he tasted flesh."

"Do you hear the rain', Mr. Caudle'? I say, do you | hear | the rain'? Nonsense! you don't impose on me`; you can't be asleep!"

"Affected passion', intense expression', the pomp of declamation, all' may aspire' after it,-they can not reach` it."

"Will you go to-day' or to-morrow?
"Where do you expect to go`?"

From the above examples, we may derive the following rules

1. Questions which may be answered by yes or no, regularly require the rising inflection.

2. Questions which can not be answered by yes or no require the falling inflection.

3. The rising inflection is used upon one of two contrasted words or phrases, the falling inflection upon the other.

4. The rising inflection is generally used upoǹ all the words or phrases of a series except the last, which takes the falling inflection.

Remark. The rising inflection regularly indicates hesitation or doubt; the falling inflection, determination or decision.

The use of the inflections upon series of words, in contrasts, is to avoid unpleasant sameness of sound. Emphasis may require the use of falling inflections only, as in the case of using calling tones.

The Rising Circumflex, marked thus ('), is a slight downward turn of the voice followed by a rise; and the Falling Circumflex, marked thus (^), a slight rise followed by a downward turn.

EXAMPLES.

"Shine, shine

forever,^ glorious^ flame,^

Divinest gift of gods to man^!"

"To-morrow, didst thou say?

Methought I heard Horatio^ say, To-morrow ^."

MODULATION.

Modulation is the agreeable variation of sounds in speaking, caused by the proper use of tone, pitch, force, emphasis, and inflection. By employing all the means conducive to intelligent reading, the thoughts we express receive full force and afford both pleasure and interest.

The register, or extent, of the speaking voice from its lowest to its highest pitch will vary with individuals, and no fixed scale of vocal tones can be used with benefit in class practice.

Middle Pitch can be determined without difficulty, since it is the part of the voice used in conversation. To make the conversational tone flexible is the most important matter to be considered in reading. Unemotional reading is difficult.

The Monotone consists in the repetition of the same musical note, and the partial absence of emphasis and inflection. The use of the monotone indicates great solemnity.

Those who read a passage without any variation whatever, ruin the effect by the monotony of their reading. The correct use of the monotone seems to lie in dwelling upon the same note through a number of words, and, in case of a change to a higher or lower note, in holding the new note through several words.

EXAMPLE.

"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."

BIBLE.

READING POETRY.

In reading poetry, the phrasing, or grouping of words according to sense, seems to be more difficult than in prose, on account of the rhythm and the rhyme; but the sense is most important and must be preserved.

The casural pause is usually preceded by a slight increase and followed by a slight decrease of force.

The regular recurrence of accented and unaccented syllables in poetry—the rhythm—requires no effort on the part of the reader to make it evident.