The open vowel sounds * may be more or less protracted, thus varying the time of utterance so as to correspond with the sentiment to be expressed, or the emotions of the speaker. The movement should never be so rapid as to strain the attention of the hearers to catch every thought, as it is uttered; nor so slow, as to pain them by anticipating what is to come. The character and sentiment of the piece, good taste, and a sound judgment, will suggest that rate of utterance, which, according to circumstances, is most appropriate. For an exercise on movement, the pupil may read the following lines as slowly as possible, without a drawling tone, and then repeat them, gradually increasing the rate of utterance at each repetition, until articulation becomes indistinct. EXAMPLES. Trust not your treasures to the waves. | Throw not your compass and chart into the ocean. | Do not believe its billows will waft you into port. 6. Quality of the Voice. THE QUALITY of the voice has reference to the tones; and it is commonly designated by the terms rough, smooth, harsh, soft, full, slender, musical, shrill, nasal, or guttural. The cultivation of the qualities of the voice, so as to give it a just adaptation to all the different characters of style, sentiment, passion, and emotion, is somewhat difficult; yet much may be done by duly considering the spirit and circumstances which dictated the language to be read or spoken, and thereby, so enlisting the feelings, as to inspire emotions similar to those * Open vowel sounds are those which are most easily protracted; as in deplore. QUESTIONS. What are open vowel sounds? What caution is given in regard to movement? What exercise is recommended? What is meant by the quality of the voice? What terms are used to designate it? How may the qualities of the voice be improved? of the writer, and lead to appropriate tones of voice and manner of utterance. Special rules, for reading the different styles of composition, will hereafter be given in connection with appropriate exercises illustrating them. EXERCISES FOR CULTIVATING THE VOICE. The following exercises are introduced for the purpose of cultivating the voice. The sentences are divided by bars, into clauses of suitable length to be uttered at once; and the teacher may pronounce each clause, on such key, and with such intensity, volume, and quality of voice as he chooses, requiring the class to pronounce it after him in the same manner. A Full, Strong Whisper. But hush! hark! | step softly! | All's hush'd as midnight, yet. | Make no noise. | Be silent. 2. Low and Soft. They are sleeping! | Who are sleeping? | Pause a moment softly tread; | Vigils by the sleeper's bed! | One remains | that slumber deep; | Speak not, lest the slumberer waken 8. Slow, Soft, and Plaintive. Slowly and sadly we laid him down, | From the field of his fame, fresh and gory; | QUESTIONS. For what are these exercises introduced? How should they be used? We carv'd not a line, we raised not a stone, 4. Deep Undertone. 1. Silence how dead, and darkness how profound! | The glooms of night | brood o'er a slumb'ring world. 5. Subdued Monotone. Night gathers slowly around me; | the long night of darkness and death. Within mine eye the light of life is fading, I as the day is slowly melting from the darkening sky. 6. Low Key, and Full Volume. Father, thy hand Hath reared these venerable columns; | thou All these fair ranks of trees. | They, in thy sun, 7. Median Key. Pleasure is a shadow; | wealth is vanity; and power is a pageant; | but knowledge is intrinsic enjoyment, | perennial fame, unlimited space, and infinite duration. | In the performance of its sacred office, it fears no danger, | spares no expense, omits no exertion. | It scales the mountain, | looks into the volcano, dives into the ocean, perforates the earth, wings its flight into the skies, | encircles the globe, | explores sea and land, contemplates the distant, examines the minute, comprehends the great, and ascends the sublime. | No place, too remote for its grasp, | no heavens, too exalted for its touch. 8. High Key, Ample Volume and Compass. 1. Fight, gentlemen of England! | Fight, bold yeomen! | Upon them! | Victory sits on our helms. | 2. From Luctra a to Marathon,b every inch of ground re-. sponds to you- cries to you- for vengeance! | liberty! | glory! virtue! | country! | These voices, which tyrants cannot stifle, demand-not words, | but steel. | 'Tis here! | receive it! | Arm! | let the thirsting earth at length be refreshed with the blood of her oppressors! | What sound more awakening to the brave than the clank of his country's fetters? | Should the sword ever tremble in your grasp,- | remember yesterday, think of to-morrow! | think of your sires, your wives, | your sons, your country, and shout liberty! | LIBERTY! 9. High Key and Rapid Movement. 1. Awake! awake! | Ring the alarm-bell, | murder! treason! treason! 2. Arm, warriors, arm for fight. | Let each Let loud Echo from her circling hills, Sound FREEDOM, | till the undulation shake 11. Hurry and Haste. More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came! | And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name! | Luctra, a town in Greece. b Marathon, a town in Greece, famous for the victory of Miltiades over the Persians, 490, B. C 12. Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, -| "CLARENCE is come- false, fleeting, perjured Clarence; | SEIZE on him, ye furies, | take him to your torments.” GENERAL EXERCISES ON MODULATION. EXERCISE I. RULE 1. Language, unattended with strong emotions, as most narrative, descriptive, and historical writings, should be read on the middle pitch, in a natural and conversational tone, with smooth utterance, median movement, and varied inflections. A NARROW ESCAPE.—PARLEY'S MAGAZINE. 1. In August, 1786, two young men, near the Slate-creek iron-works in Kentucky, by the names of Yates and Downing, Warwick, (Richard Nevil,) called the king-maker. He was killed in battle, in 1471. b Clarence, son-in-law of Warwick. He was put to death by his brother, Edward IV., king of England. QUESTION. What is the rule for reading narrative, descriptive, and historical writings? |