TREMOR OF THE VOICE. In plain reading and speaking, this element is seldom required. The gurgling of the throat, and the neighing of a horse are instances of it. T, P, K, as producing entire occlusion, and the aspirates may be laid out of our account as respects the tremor. Let the student turn to the Table, and sound each of the other alphabetic elements with a prolonged tremor, maintaining the same pitch throughout the process of sounding each, with which he begins it. Let him then endeavour to give to each, during the continuance of the tremulous movement, a rising semitone, third, fifth, and octave :-afterwards the same falling movements. Strenuous and persevering efforts will be necessary, in order to rise and fall easily through the different intervals with tremor; but when the student can effect it upon the alphabetic elements, he will find no difficulty in applying it to words. Let him as a practice, sound the words contained in the table under the head of quantity, page 104, taking care that every element (except those above excluded from consideration) heard in the word, sustains its due portion of the tremor. Let them be sounded through the intervals, in the manner directed for the alphabetic elements. The circumstances to be aimed at in the use of the tremor, are to make the separate tittles as distinct as possible, to make them follow each other with ease and rapidity, to have each well accented, to make them as numerous as possible during the proper pronunciation of the syllables on which they are placed, and to take care that each element contained in them, sustain its due portion of the movement. In the higher kinds of poetry and oratory, the tremor judiciously applied, has sometimes a very striking effect. Persons on the stage, who have obtained a command over it, generally employ it to excess, and on improper occasions. It unites very naturally with other elements of the voice, in the expression of several of the emotions, and increases the intensity of their expression. It heightens the trill of joy, mirth, and exultation; adds pungency to scorn, or derision; deepens the note of sorrowful feeling; and, enhances the voice of distress. It is heard in laughing and crying. In the former it is employed with the tone-in the latter with the semitone. As it is occasionally required for such purposes as we have specified, it should be at the command of the reader and speaker. The elementary practice here enjoined, will place it at his disposal; and the examples which follow, may instruct him in its appropriate use. It is to be employed with temperance, for it lies on the extremes of the emotions. Indeed, with regard to this and to all other striking elements of the art of speech, the youthful speaker must acquire a temperance, consistent with nature, and the general taste of society. As to the acquisition of the elements, let the student be assured that no considerable difficulty lies in his way here. All that has been wanted, has been to know the elements, to classify, to name them, to render them separate objects of elementary practice, to learn them in the way of analysis, before attempts are made to compound them together, for the purpose of communicating the sense and sentiment of discourse. Ignorance of them, want of practice upon them, and previous bad habits, 1 mainly growing out of such ignorance and want of practice, are the sources of faulty speaking. Examples of the tremor. It should be heard in the congratulatory exultation of Aufidius, the Volscian general, upon finding that Coriolanus was disposed to join the Volscians against his country. All the syllables on which (I think) it should be heard, are marked by italics. Oh! Marcius, Marcius! Each word which thou hast spoke, has weeded from my heart A root of ancient envy if Jupiter Should from yon cloud speak divine things, and say "Tis true, I'd not believe them more than thee, All no-ble Marcius! 'Why thou Mars! I tell thee, We have a power on foot; and I had purpose Falstaff. "Pll not march through Coventry with them that's flat. No eye hath seen such scare-crows." This is, as the reader will perceive, an extract from Falstaff's ragged regiment; the whole of which, if dramatically read, and little effect can be given to it by a merely plain reading, requires an almost continual chuckle, and is a fine instance for the expression of the tremor, which is required upon almost every syllable. This piece should be practiced for its acquisition. It will be found in the Elocutionist, page 125. Queen Katharine, in commending her daughter Mary to Henry, terminates the affecting bequest, with these words of sorrowful and thrilling tenderness. They re quire, in dramatic reading, the marked expression of the semitone; while the tremor should play throughout, and especially upon the words, "Heaven knows how dearly." "And a little To love her for her mother's sake, that loved him, QUESTIONS TO RECITATION NINTH. 1. What are the circumstances necessary to render the tremulous movement of the voice consistent with the requisitions of the art of elocution? 2. To what emotions is it generally applicable? 3. The student is required to exhibit it on the elements, on a series of words,-on the examples. RECITATION TENTH. FORCE OF VOICE. FORCE of voice may be heard at the beginning of a syllable exclusively, by abrupt percussion; in the middle of its course by swell of voice, increasing from the beginning of the syllable; or it may be conspicuously marked at the termination, or at both ends, or equally throughout the whole body of a syllable. The vowel elements, as we have already shown, can be exploded with a very high degree of sudden force. A long vowel may be made to burst upon the ear at its commencement with great explosive energy, and then the voice, constantly and equably diminishing in volume, may carry it through an extended quantity to its final termination in a delicate vanish. To this commencing force, Dr. Rush has given the name of RADICAL STRESS, because it is effected by the radical part of a syllable. (See p. 76.) We have already spoken of its importance and of the elementary method of acquiring it. This kind of force expresses strong anger and all the passions allied to it. It is appropriate to impetuous mirth, indeed to all the animating emotions; to wrath, joy, hope, exultation, positiveness, and in a greater or less degree, to the different modifications of these states of mind. Radical stress is generally combined with short syllabic quantity, and a consequent rapid movement of the voice in discourse. In the expression of impetuous anger, in dramatic reading |