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ELOCUTION.

OF THE MODULATION OF THE VOICE.

MAN is the only being to which the Almighty has given the faculty of speech; and so obvious are the advantages of a correct and graceful Elocution, that no labour nor effort should be deemed too great to obtain it. Music is a most delightful accomplishment; "yet," as has been beautifully observed, "the voice of song is not sweeter than the voice of eloquence." A person of indifferent mental qualifications, but possessing a good ear, and a correct taste, may, by long habit and practice, excel as a performer on any instrument, but to become a perfect elocutionist requires talent of a very superior order. Reading and speaking require not only a good ear, but a good voice, and more particularly, the closest thought, with the finest discrimination and judgment.

Although it is far from being expected that it is in the power of every one to become a Siddons or a Kemble, it is most certain that there are but few who may not attain, by study and practice, a respectable and creditable elocution; it is, therefore, much to be lamented that, while such is the fact, there are so very few who possess this accomplishment.

Even in the senate, the pulpit, and at the bar, the finest sentiments, and the most brilliant ideas, are often rendered ineffective, by the monotonous, inappropriate, graceless, inanimate manner in which they are uttered. The ancients were by very far our superiors in this art. To excel, as orators, was their greatest ambition, and they directed all their energies to the attainment of this object. By the severest application, they not only stored their minds with treasures of learning, but devoted the greatest attention to the cultivation of the voice, actions, and gestures. The

more eminent thus acquired, apparently, a superhuman ascendency over the minds of their less cultivated auditors.

The chief aim of every speaker should be to attain a perfectly correct enunciation. By enunciation is meant the utterance and combination of the elements of speech, and the pronunciation of syllables, words, &c., as distinguished from the tones of the voice. A good enunciation will then consist in that clear and accurate delivery of language, by which the requisite qualities of distinctness and articulation are combined and modified. Enunciation thus combines articulation and pronunciation.

Articulation is the linking together of the respective elements, so as to form them into syllables and words, and is a component part of pronunciation, which latter is regulated by the authority of the learned and polite in society. Correct articulation is of the highest consequence to a public speaker; every word should be articulated distinctly, without any one of the sounds being suppressed. A person who possesses but a moderate voice, if he articulate clearly, will be heard much more easily, and will afford infinitely more pleasure than one who possesses a voice of superior power, but has a thick and inarticulate

utterance.

In order to have a full command of the voice, which is obviously necessary to a correct articulation, the speaker should stand perfectly erect, with his chest expanded as much as possible, so that the lungs may have free action: he should also take care never to exhaust his lungs, but to keep a supply of breath in reserve.

In reading, or speaking, the standing position will be always found to be the least fatiguing to the voice; for, in sitting, the blood has not a free circulation, nor have the muscles of the chest their full play. If the voice be weak, nothing will so much tend to strengthen it as reading aloud; and the open air will be found infinitely preferable to a room for that purpose. It is astonishing how much the voice may be strengthened by exercise: this was strikingly exemplified in the case of Demosthenes, who, from possessing, naturally, a weak and disagreeable voice, by unwearied exercise, rendered it strong and harmonious, and he became the most eloquent and powerful speaker that Athens ever produced.

With regard to Pronunciation, little more can be said than that every word should be pronounced according to the most approved authorities; above all, provincial accents should be guarded against, and, if acquired, should be immediately eradicated.

Among the chief errors in pronunciation may be enumerated the dropping of the final letter, and the giving of an improper sound to the vowel, thus, proving and moving are sometimes pronounced as if written, provin and movin, the final g being dropped; also, education as if it were edecation; singular and regular, as if they were singelar and regelar, &c. The aspirated his also sometimes omitted, thus, hate is pronounced ate, heat, eat, &c. and sometimes an aspirated sound is given to the vowel, thus, animal is pronounced as if it were hanimal, &c. There are certain errors which the youth of the Metropolis too often contract, and which it may not be improper to notice. They substitute the v and w for each other, thus, veal is pronounced as if it were weal, and vinegar as if it were winegar. They change the final aw aud ow into ar and er, and say, sar for saw, winder for window. Words that end in a are made to terminate in ar, thus, Sophia is pronounced Sophiar, and Maria, Mariar, &c. It is however presumed that no one would attempt public speaking who had acquired habits so vicious as these enumerated.

At the commencement of a speech, or of an address, especial care should be taken that the voice be at a proper pitch, that is, that it be neither too high nor too low, and also that the natural key of the voice be never, at any time, exceeded. A person will readily ascertain from experience, that he can raise his voice from a low to a higher key much more easily than he can bring it down from a high to a lower key. It should therefore be a rule with speakers to commence rather in a low, than in a high tone, as they can raise it gradually as they proceed; they will thus, independently of having a better command of the voice, be reserving their strength for the body and conclusion of the address. Should the voice become too high, which it will always be inclined to do, it should be brought down, by lowering the tone at the end of a sentence and commencing a fresh one, on the note with which the former sentence was concluded. Although the voice should not

be raised too high, the contrary extreme should be avoided: it should not be suffered to drop too low. Neither should an address be given in a dull monotonous tone. The voice must be made to suit the subject, and in impassioned reading or speaking, it must be in accordance with the nature of the passion delineated.

As to the force or loudness of the voice, it is recommended that every speaker should endeavour to fill with his voice the room in which he speaks; and this he may readily discover by the reverberation of the sound to his ear. But at the same time he should be careful to avoid a loud vociferous tone, which will be equally as unpleasant to the ears of the audience, as it will be exhausting to himself. It may be observed, that the force of the voice should not be confounded with the elevation or depression of tone. A person may speak in a very low key, with a very loud voice; and on the contrary, he may speak in a very high key with a very soft voice. A low toned bell struck violently will produce a loud sound in a low key; whereas a high toned bell struck slightly will produce a soft sound in a high key.

It is impossible to lay down any specific rules for the rate of utterance, as that must depend entirely on the nature of the subject, for while on the one hand, a drawling languid manner should be avoided, too great a rapidity, a fault very prevalent, is equally as improper and more usual. A speaker will, however, generally err less in being too slow, than in being too rapid.

OF THE INFLECTIONS.

All vocal sounds, as has been justly observed by a late eminent elocutionist, Mr. WALKER, may be divided into two kinds, speaking sounds, and musical sounds. Musical sounds continue for a certain time on a precise point of the scale, and then leap, as it were, to a higher or lower note, while speaking sounds instead of dwelling on the note with which they begin, gently slide upwards or downwards without resting perceptibly on any note. The upward slide or rising inflection, as it is termed, is distinguished by the acute accent, thus, (-) the downward slide or falling inflection, by the grave accent, thus (-). On these

two slides or inflections of the voice, the harmony of elocution depends.

It is impossible, in a work like the present, to give lengthened rules, under any particular head, without swelling it to a bulk incompatible with its design the reader who wishes to enter very minutely into the subject, is referred to WALKER'S Elements of Elocution, where the inflections, in particular, are treated in a complete and masterly The following observations it is hoped will convey at least a superficial view of the nature of the inflections. In general, in simple unimpassioned sentences, where there is a contrast in the sense, there is a contrast in the inflection, as,

manner.

"I said these, not those."

"He went by sea, not by land."

Interrogatories made by the verb, (unless in some instances where the sentence is very long or concludes a paragraph,) require the rising inflection, thus,

"Have ye not known? Have ye not heard?

Hath it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?'' Interrogatories made by the pronoun or adverb, require the falling inflection, thus,

"What shall be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour ?" If the question form an exclamation, it will sometimes require the rising inflection, as,

"Where shall we go? What shall we do?"

Affirmations require the falling inflection, as,

"What if I can shew no statues of my family? I can shew the standards, the armour, and the trappings, which I have myself taken from the vanquished."

In impassioned language, the ANTITHESIS OF CONTRAST often requires a strong rising inflection on the latter of the two things or persons contrasted, thus,

"It is not CESAR, but the GODS, my fathers,

The Gods declare against us and repel

Our vain attempts."

CATO.

"No, you have judged as I have the foulness of the crafty plea, by which this bold invade would delude you. Your generous spirit has

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