But when her humorous ladyship is by NASAL QUALITY. Shakespeare. In this Quality, the voice sounds as if it came through the nose. It is caused by an imperfect opening of the mouth and nasal passages. It is never employed in correct delivery, and may be avoided if the mouth and throat are kept well open, by relaxing the muscles of the throat and lower jaw. We find an excellent example of this in Dr. Holmes's poem, "The One Horse Shay." Example. But the deacon swore (as deacons do, With an "I dew vum," or an "I tell yeou"), It should be so built that it couldn' break daoun : Is only jest To make that place uz strong uz the rest." FORCE. Force, in vocal culture, has reference both to the loudness of sound and the intensity of utterance. The degrees of it are Subdued, Moderate, and Loud, VOCAL CULTURE. 25 25 The voice should be exercised upon the vowels in all degrees of Force, from the gentlest to the most vehement. The hint is here repeated that the loudest tones must be made in such a manner as not to rasp the throat. So far from producing any unpleasant sensation, the right kind of practice will have a pleasant and exhilarating effect. Seek to make the sounds always smooth and musical; and never lose sight of the fact that what is wanted in every-day use of the voice, in the school-room or elsewhere, is a pleasant and natural intonation. The practice of loud and sustained tones is an excellent means of improving the voice, but is to be the exception, not the rule, in ordinary reading. Yet the softest tone must be elastic and full of life, not dull and leaden. The degree of Force required in reading a given passage depends upon the space to be filled by the reader's voice or the distance it must reach; upon the number of persons presumed to be addressed, and upon the emotion expressed. Subdued Force is employed in the expression of pathos and solemnity, and is usually accompanied by Effusive Oro tund Quality. Examples. 1. Flow, softly flow, by lawn and lea, No more by thee my steps shall be, 2. Oh hark! Oh hear! how thin and clear, 3. Tread lightly, comrades!--we have laid Like life-save deeper light and shade- MODERATE FORCE. Moderate Force is used in unimpassioned narrative, descriptive, and didactic composition. Example. When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow. When I see kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind. When I read the several dates of the tombs of some that died yesterday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great day when we shall all of us be cotemporaries, and make our appearance together.-Addison. LOUD FORCE. It is employed in the expression of the intenser passions and emotions. Examples. 1. UP DRAWBRIDGE! GROOM! What, WARDER, HÒ! In shouts proclaim the great decree, "All chains are burst, all men are free!" Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah! PITCH. One of the commonest faults, in school reading and in the delivery of many public speakers, is a dull monotony VOCAL CULTURE. 27 of tone. This sameness is still more disagreeable to the ear when the voice is kept strained upon a high key. Not less unpleasant is an incessant repetition of the same cant or sing-song. Elocutionary rules will do little or nothing toward removing these faults. Faithful drill is needed, under the guidance of good taste and a correct musical ear. To this must be added an appreciation of the sentiment of the piece at the moment of utterance. The ability to manage the voice, with reference to Pitch, depends upon the control of the larynx and lower jaw. If the muscles be relaxed and the throat enlarged, the Pitch will be low; and each degree of contraction will be marked by a higher degree of Pitch. The best means of cultivating this, is to speak to persons at different distances-far or near, according as a high or low degree is desired. Exercise in sudden transitions in Pitch will also be found invaluable to a complete mastery of the subject. The distinctions of Pitch are-Low, Middle, High. Examples. LOW. 1. But, whatever may be our fate, be assured that this declaration will stand. It may cost treasure, and it may cost blood; but it will stand, and it will richly compensate for both. 2. How beautiful is night! A dewy freshness fills the silent air; No mist obscures, nor cloud, nor speck, nor stain MIDDLE. 1. An old clock, that had stood for fifty years in a farmer's kitchen without giving its owner any cause of complaint, early one summer's morning, before the family was stirring, suddenly stopped. 2. A blind man would know that one was a gentleman and the other a clown, by the tones of their voices. 3. The very law which molds a tear, And bids it trickle from its source, HIGH. 1. I come! I come!-ye have called me long; 2. Stand! the ground's your own, my braves! Will ye look for greener graves? Hope ye mercy still? What's the mercy despots feel? Hear it-in that battle peal! Read it on yon bristling steel! Ask it!-ye who will. STRESS. The manner in which Force is applied, in reading and speaking, is termed Stress. There are usually reckoned five divisions: Radical, Median, Vanishing, Compound, and Tremor. RADICAL STRESS. In Radical Stress, the force of the utterance falls on the first part of the sound, and vanishes more or less rapidly. The long vowels afford fine exercises in this. For example, in uttering the following couplet with spirit, we naturally give the Radical Stress upon the word "up," and its explosive character will be plainly perceived: Up! comrades, up!-in Rokeby's halls Ne'er be it said our courage falls! |