9. To give a clear and distinct enunciation to the various combinations of letters in the formation of words and sentences, requires much skill and practice; but the attainment of so important a qualification, will amply repay for the labor bestowed. LESSON IV. EMPHASIS. 1. In the reading of any passage, some words are more specially marked by the voice than others. This distinction of certain words, is called EMPHASIS. It is defined thus: EMPHASIS is that peculiar stress of voice on a certain significant word, or words, in a sentence, by which their due importance and meaning are best expressed. EXAMPLES. 1. The drying up a single tear has more Of honest fame, than shedding seas of gore. 2. Our doubts are traitors, And make us lose the good we oft might win, By fearing to attempt. 3. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 4. 'Tis a strange mystery, the power of words! Life is in them, and death. A word can send 2. EMPHASIS varies in degrees of intensity. The DEGREE of emphasis, which a word should receive in reading, depends on its importance in expressing the sense. A word, generally of infe What is meant by Emphasis? Is emphasis uniformly the same? How, and by what is it varied? What words receive emphasis? On what does the degree of emphasis depend? rior importance, may, by some circumstance, become important, and proportionately emphatic. Thus, "he spoke for religion, not against it." 3. The degree of emphasis which any word should receive, must be considered relatively,-depending on the importance of the other.words, with which it is connected, and the manner, in which they are to be uttered in expressing the sense. In the foregoing examples, those words only which should receive the most intense emphasis, are marked in the print; though there are other words which are important when compared with others, and should receive, accordingly, a corresponding degree of emphasis in the reading. 4. The intensity of Emphasis does not always depend on the degree of loudness employed, but it may be denoted as expressly by an undertone, or whisper. EXAMPLES. 1. Thou that didst bow the billow's pride Thy mandate to fulfill! Oh, speak to passion's raging tide, Speak, and say, "PEACE, BE STILL !" 2. The hollow dash of waves!-the ceaseless roar !— 3. SILENCE, ye billows!-vex my soul no more! Who call the dead Conqueror or lord ?-HUSH! BREATHE it not ALOUD, The wild WINDS must not HEAR it !-Yet, again, I tell thee-WE ARE FREE! 5. Emphasis has the same relation to the words of a sentence, which accent has to the syllables of a word. Accent, however, is often subservient to emphasis, and is frequently changed by it from its ordinary position. This is especially the case, when words are contrasted, which vary but slightly in /sound, in order to mark distinctly in what the difference consists. EXAMPLES. 1. There is a pos'sibility of such an occurrence, though there is no prob'ability. How is its intensity to be expressed? What relation has emphasis to accent? When does emphasis require a change in the accent of a word? 2. This corruptible must put on in'corruption, and this mortal must put on imʼmortality. 6. The sense of a passage is readily varied by changing the position of the emphasis. EXAMPLES. 1. The fashion of this world passeth away. 3. The fashion of this world passeth away. 4. The fashion of this world passeth away. As the emphasis is transferred to succeeding words, the sense of the passage is materially varied. 7. There are two kinds of emphasis;—Absolute and Antithetic. 8. ABSOLUTE EMPHASIS is that which is employed merely to bring out, prominently to the mind, the important words contained in a passage, without any direct reference to other words. EXAMPLES OF ABSOLUTE EMPHASIS. 1. Man's caution often into danger guides. 2. True fortitude is seen in great exploits That justice warrants, and that wisdom guides; All else is tow'ring frenzy and distraction. 3. GOD has given man feet to tread the earth, a face to behold the heavens, and a soul to soar into the heaven of heavens, on the wings of hope, aspiring through temporal shades to eternal light. 4. LIBERTY! FREEDOM! TYRANNY is dead! Run hence, PROCLAIM, CRY it about the streets. 5. Rise, Freedom, RISE! and, breaking from thy trance, 9. ANTITHETIC EMPHASIS is that which is founded on the contrast of one word or clause with another. EXAMPLES OF ANTITHETIC EMPHASIS. 1. He's armed without, that's innocent within. 2. To err is human; to forgive, divine. 3. Just men are only free, the rest are slaves. How is the sense of a passage varied by emphasis? How many kinds of emphasis are there? What is absolute emphasis? What, is antithetic? 4. TRUTH, crushed to earth, shall rise again,- But ERROR, wounded, writhes with pain, 5. Lands, mortgaged, may return, and more esteemed; Wit, widowed of good sense, is worse than naught; It hoists more sail to run against a rock. 10. Emphasis is not applied merely to words, but is also applied to whole clauses and sentences. EXAMPLES. 1. Hope the sweet bird!—while that the air can fill, Let earth be ice-the soul hath summer still. 2. Immortality o'ersweeps All pains, all tears, all time, all fears, and peals Into my ears this truth-THOU LIV'ST FOREVER! 3. Fond man! though all the honors of your line, Bedeck your halls, and round your galleries shine In proud display, yet take this truth from me,VIRTUE ALONE IS TRUE NOBILITY! Though pealed and chimed on all the tongues of fame, Than his-WHO FASHIONS AND IMPROVES MANKIND. 11. Emphasis expresses either thought or passion. When it is expressive of sense only, it is called LOGICAL; when, of feeling, as well as sense, it is called PASSIONATE. The following example is illustrative of both,-the former part of logical; the latter part, of passionate. 1. In the happiest state of social life, all the noblest faculties of humanity would bear legitimate sway within the spirit's ample domains. There, Genius would be honored. But to such a state there can, under the most To what is emphasis applied beside words? What does emphasis express ? When it is expressive of thought, what is it called? What, when of feeling as well as thought? favoring skies, be no more than an approvimation; and the time never was when Virtue suffered no persecution; Honor, no shame ; Genius, no neglect; and felters were not imposed by tyrannous power on the feet of the Free. The age of Homer, the age of Solon, the age of Pericles, the age of Augustus, the age of Scott and Byron, have they not been all bright and great ages? Yet had they been faithfully chronicled, over the misery and madness of how many despairing spirits, fraught with heavenly fire, might we not have been called to pour forth our unavailing indignations and griefs. 12. When emphasis is applied to several successive words, or to the several members of a climax, it is called CUMULATIVE EMPHASIS. 13. CUMULATIVE EMPHASIS is employed where great earnestness of feeling is to be expressed. It is applied to passages embracing successive particulars, each increasing in importance, and also to the repetition of words or clauses. The emphasis cumulates or increases on each additional repetition or assertion, being more intense on the last than the first. EXAMPLES. 1. How poor, how RICH,-how abject, how August,—— How complicate, how WONDERFUL, is man! 2. His hand the good man fastens on the skies, And BIDS EARTH ROLL, nor FEELS HER IDLE WHIRL. 3. The war is inevitable-and LET IT COME! I repeat it, Sir,-LET IT COME! 4. I have thus shown, from the gentleman's own arguments, that the doctrine advanced by him, is not at present received,-that it never was received, that it NEVER CAN BY ANY POSSIBILITY BE RECEIVED, and that if admitted, it MUST BE BY THE TOTAL SUBVERSION OF LIBERTY! 5. Stay, speak ;-SPEAK I charge thee, SPEAK. 6. Tell me, my soul, why art thou restless? WHY dost thou look forward to the future with such strong desire? The present is thine,-and the PAST, and the FUTURE shall be! 14. The sense is the only criterion, by which to judge in regard to the words or sentences, to which emphasis should be applied, as well as the degree and character required in expressing the sentiment with elegance and effect. When is emphasis called Cumulative? How are emphatic words and sentences determined? |