each of the following lines may be pronounced by a single effort or pulsation of the voice: Came to the When he was in'Twas at the Does to the Oft did the But when two accented syllables follow one another, there must be a distinct effort or pulsation of the voice to pronounce each. Thus, the words fate, hate, both being accented, require a distinct effort or pulsation of the voice for the pronunciation of each; and a pause must be made between each, long enough to pronounce an unaccented syllable. It will thus be seen, that the two syllables, fatal or hating, can be pronounced by the same effort that is required to pronounce the syllables fate and hate. And here it may be remarked that, while an accented syllable requires a distinct effort or pulsation of the voice in pronouncing it, an unaccented syllable is uttered without such effort This distinction of the voice, in pronouncing accented or unaccented syllables, is called the pulsative and the remiss action of the voice. An accented syllable, therefore, is uttered by the pulsative action of the voice. An unaccented syllable is uttered by the remiss action of the voice. A perfect measure of speech consists of one, or any number of syllables, (not exceeding five,) uttered during one pulsation and remission of the voice. It may here be remarked, that a single syllable may constitute a measure; for if it be extended in sound, the first part of that sound may be accented or heavy, and the latter unaccented or light. But a short syllable will not constitute a measure. More than one syllable cannot be uttered during the pulsative effort of the voice; while one, two, three, and even four, can be uttered during the remiss action; as in the word spiritually, in which the first syllable, spir, is pronounced by the pulsative, and the syllables itually by the remiss action of the voice. An imperfect measure of speech consists of a single syllable on which the acute accent is placed,—or of a syllable or syllables which are unaccented. In the following examples for reading, the lines are divided into several parts, which are separated by a mark like this called a bar, and the parts divided by the bars are all PERFECT or IMPERFECT MEASURES OF SPEECH. The accented syllables, or those which require the pulsative effort of the voice, are noted by a mark ▲ under them; and the unaccented syllables, or those which require the remiss action of the voice, have this mark .. under them. The time occupied in reading each portion between the bars must be equal, whether the bar includes a perfect or imperfect measure of speech. A bar may contain an imperfect measure; the accented or unaccented portions of the measure being omitted. In that case, a mark like this is inserted, to indicate a rest or stop long enough to pronounce the portion which is omitted.** In reading the following passages, the pupil will recollect that all the syllables which have ▲ under them are accented that all which have .. under them are unaccented -and that all the marks like this indicate that a pause is to be made long enough to pronounce an unaccented syllable.] *This notation will not indeed inform us what syllables are to be emphatic, nor where the pauses are to be placed; but it will enable a master, who knows how to order all these things in speech, to furnish that which most men require for every thing they do-a copy. If a boy is taught by this method, he acquires the habit of attention to the subjects of accentuation and pause, which may be readily applied in ordinary discourse. * Although there are many poetical extracts in the preceding part of this book, this is the first extract in which the lines are distinguished. All the preceding extracts have been presented in sentences like prose, to prevent that sing-song manner of reading into which children are apt to fall. It is thought that the introductory remarks in this lesson are adapted to prepare the pupil to read verse, without the danger of" favouring the poetry," as this sing-song is sometimes called. The usual punctuation is omitted, in this lesson, as the system of notation adopted fully supplies its place. |