is emphatic. In books of elocution, when it is marked at all, it is generally marked thus (-), as in the fourth line following. Hence! loathed Melancholy ! Where brooding darkness spreads her jealous wings, And the night raven sings; There, under ebon shades and low-browed rocks, As ragged as thy locks, In dark Cimmerian darkness ever dwell. QUESTIONS.-When is a sentence said to be read in a monotone? When is the monotone appropriate? Which line in the example is to be read in this way? Why? SECTION V. ACCENT. In every word, which contains more than one syllable, one of the syllables is pronounced with a somewhat greater stress of voice, than the others; as, love-ly, where this stress is on the first syllable; and, re-turn', where it is on the last syllable. This syllable is said to be accented. The accented syllable is distinguished by this mark ('), the same which is used in inflections. In most cases, custom is the only guide for placing the ant on one syllable rather than another. Sometimes, however, the same word is differently accented, in order to mark its different meanings; as, Con'-jure, to practice enchantments, a conjure, to entreat. Au'-gust, a month. al-lant', a gay fellow au-gust', grand, &c. A number of words, also, have their accent on one syllable wh verbs or adjectives, and on another, when nouns; as, Subject, the noun; and to sub-ject', the verb. QUESTIONS.-When is a syllable said to be accented? Give an example. How is the accented syllable marked? What is generally the guide for placing the accent? When is the same word differently accented? Give an example under each head. SECTION VI EMPHASIS. THAT stress of voice which marks the accent, when increased, forms EMPHASIS. A word is said to be emphasized, when it is uttered with a greater stress of voice, than the other words with which it is connected. This increased stress is, generally, not upon the whole word, but only upon the accented syllable. The object of emphasis is, to attract particular attention to the word upon which it is placed, indicating, that the idea to be conveyed, depends very much upon that word. This object, as just stated, is generally accomplished by increasing the force of utterance, but sometimes, also, other methods are used, as, for instance, a change in the inflection, the use of the monotone, or by uttering the words in a very low or whispering tone. Emphatic words are often denoted by italics, and a still stronger emphasis, by capitals. Emphasis constitutes the most important feature in reading and speaking, and, properly applied, gives life and character to language. Accent, inflection, and, indeed, every thing yields to emphasis. The inflections, especially, are auxiliary to it. In the article on that subject, it has already been observed, how often they yield to emphasis, or are used to enforce it. In the following examples, it will be seen that accent, in like manner, is governed by it. What is done, can not be undone. There is a difference between giving and forgiving. Some appear, to make very little difference detween decency and indecency, morality and immorality, religion and irreligion. There is no better illustration of the nature and importance of emphasis, than the following example, which is substantially the same with one given by Blair, and which has been often quoted. It will be observed that the meaning and proper answer of the question varies with each change of the emphasis. Did Did you walk into the city yesterday? you walk into the city yesterday? you walk into the city yesterday? you walk into the city yesterday? Did Did Ans. No, my brother went. Ans. No, I went into the country. I. ABSOLUTE EMPHASIS. SOMETIMES a word is emphasized simply to indicate the importance of the idea. This is called ABSOLUTE EMPHASIS. The following are examples: To arms! they come! the Greek! the Greek! Woe unto you PHARISEES! HYPOCRITES! Days, months, years, and ages, shall circle away, In instances like the last, it is sometimes called the emphasis of specification. II. RELATIVE EMPHASIS. WORDS are often emphasized, in order to exhibit the idea they express, as compared or contrasted with some other idea. This is called RELATIVE EMPHASIS. The following are examples: It is much better to be injured, than to injure. Homer was the greater genius, Virgil, the better artist. This is sometimes carried through several sets or pairs of antithesis, or contrasted words; as, A friend can not be known in prosperity; an enemy can not be hidden in adversity. They follow an adventurer whom they fear; we serve a monarch whom we love. In many instances one part only of the antithesis is expressed, the corresponding idea being understood; as, A friendly eye would never see such faults. Here the unfriendly eye is understood. King Henry exclaims, while vainly endeavoring to compose himself to rest, How many thousands of my subjects are at this hour asleep. Here the emphatic words thousands, subjects, and asleep, are contrasted in idea with their opposites, and if the contrasted ideas were expressed, it would be done something in this way: While I alone, their sovereign, am doomed to wakefulness III. EMPHATIC PHRASE. SOMETIMES, several words in succession are emphasized. The following are examples. Shall I, the conqueror of Spain and Gaul, and not only of the Alpine nations, but of the Alps themselves-shall I compare myself with this HALF-YEAR-CAPTAIN? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the LAST TEN YEARS. And if thou said'st, I am not peer IV. EMPHATIC PAUSE. AN emphatic expression of sentiment often requires a pause, where the grammatical construction authorizes none. This is sometimes called the rhetorical pause. Such pauses occur, chiefly, before or after an emphatic word or phrase, and sometimes both before and after it. Their object is, to attract attention to the emphatic idea, or to give the mind time to dwell upon it, and thus increase the impression. Examples: Rise-fellow men! our country-yet remains! By that dread name we wave the sword on high, But most-by numbers judge the poet's song; Produced the beast, and lo!-'t was white. QUESTIONS.-When is a word said to be emphasized? Upon what part of the word is the increased stress placed? What is the object of emphasis? In what other way, than the one just mentioned, can this be accomplished? How are emphatic words marked? What is said of the importance of emphasis? What other things yield to emphasis? Give some examples in which accent yields to it. What is absolute emphasis? Give examples. What is meant by relative emphasis? Give the examples, and show the words contrasted. Give the examples, in which the emphasis is carried through several sets of contrasted words, and point out which words are opposed to each other. Is the idea corresponding to the emphatic word ever left out? Explain the two last examples under this head, and show what is the idea opposed to friendly, in the one, and what are opposed to thousands, subjects, and asleep, in the other. What is meant by the emphatic phrase? Give the examples. What do you understand by the emphatic pause? Where does it occur? What is its object? Give examples. SECTION VII. POETIC PAUSES. IN poetry, we have three sets of pauses, viz., grammatical pauses, rhetorical pauses, which two are common to poetry and prose, and poetic pauses, which are peculiar to poetry. The object of these latter is simply to promote the melody. At the end of each line, a slight pause is generally proper, whatever be the grammatical construction or the sense. The pur pose of this is, to make prominent the melody of the measure, and, in rhyme, to allow the ear to appreciate the harmony of the similar sounds. There is, also, another important pause, somewhere near the middle of each line, which is called the cesura, or cesural pause. In the following lines it is marked thus, There are hours long departed-which memory brings, Like blossoms of Eden-to twine round the heart, The cesural pause should never be so placed as to injure. the The following lines, if melody alone were consulted, would be read thus, sense. With fruitless la-bor, Clara bound, And strove to stanch-the gushing wound; Exhausted all-the churches prayers. This manner of reading, however, it will be readily perceived, would very much interfere with the proper expression of the idea. This is to be corrected, by making the cesural pause yield to the The melody is not injured by this, as much as might be supposed. The above lines should be read thus, sense. With fruitless labor-Clara bound, And strove to stanch-the gushing wound; Exhausted-all the churches prayers. Sometimes, where the sense requires it, two cesural pauses may be made instead of one, as in some of the following lines: Soldier, rest!-thy warfare o'er, Sleep the sleep-that knows not breaking; Days of danger-nights of waking. |