Of vapors, from whose solid atmosphere

Black rain, and fire, and hail will burst: O hear! (SHELLEY: Ode to the West Wind)

The Aspirate Quality

The aspirate quality, or breathy utterance, is employed much more frequently in conversation than in public address, although it is occasionally useful in the latter instance. What is known as the pure whisper, which has no vocalization, is sometimes due to the fact that, because of weakness or excessive emotion, a person cannot control the vocal apparatus. Or, he may voluntarily avoid vocalization for reasons of caution, secrecy, or quietness. In public address, the whisper is at times used to represent, or quote, a whispered remark; and occasionally to heighten the effect of an important expression or climax by way of contrast to the more common use of energetic force in the normal quality. Its practical use on the platform is usually confined to a word, phrase, or a couple of sentences at most.

There is a modification of the whisper known as the semi-tone, or "stage-whisper." This quality comprises varying degrees of vocalization between the pure whisper and the normal voice. The vocal bands are sufficiently tight to vibrate slightly, but not so much as in normal speech; at the same time there is a considerable escape of unvocalized breath. When involuntary, this quality is the natural result of an emotional intensity which renders the person incapable of fully controlling the vocal muscles and regulating the breath current. The semi-tone can, of course, be voluntarily

produced to suggest a violent emotion, or to give greater carrying power to the voice when, for any reason, a whisper effect is desired.

The whisper, though it tires the throat muscles if continued too long at first, is strengthening to the throat if practiced persistently in short intervals. Moreover, since the audibility of the whisper depends so largely upon absolute distinctness, its practice has a beneficial effect upon articulation and pronunciation.

EXERCISES IN THE WHISPER

I Read the following sentences with the pure whisper: a. I can't tell just how it happened; I think the beam fell on me.

b. Keep back; wait till I see if the coast is clear. c. Ask the man next to you if he'll let me see his

program.

d. Don't let the children come in; we can't keep them still.

II Read the following sentences in the semi-tone: a. Hark! what was that?

b. "Hush, Rip," she cried, "hush, you little fool; the old man won't hurt you."

c. Wait till you see the whites of their eyes, then

e. Come, hand over the money and be quick about it!

f. The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements.

g. Silence along the lines there- silence along the

lines! not a word! not a word! on the peril of your lives!

III Read the following stanzas, using a mixture of pure whisper and semi-tone:

a. Steady, boys, steady!

Keep your arms ready!

God only knows whom we may meet here.

Don't let me be taken;

I'd rather awaken to-morrow

In no matter where

Than lie in that foul prison hole

Over there.

(WATSON: Wounded)

b. What! pray? I pray? I press my lips
Upon that holy thing?

I pray? "T were blasphemy! no prayer
Peace to this heart can bring!

(MOORE: The Death of Charles the Ninth)

C. "Hush!" Reuben said, "he's up in the shed!
He's open'd the winder,—I see his head!
He stretches it out, an' pokes it about,
Lookin' to see 'f the coast is clear,

An' nobody near."

(TROWBRIDGE: Darius Green and His Flying-Machine)

d. Alack, I am afraid they have awaked,

And 't is not done. The attempt and not the

deed

Confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers

ready;

He could not miss 'em. Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done't.

(SHAKESPEARE: Macbeth)

CHAPTER IX

PITCH (INFLECTION)

Every speech sound has a certain pitch, or location in the vocal scale. The height of the tone is determined by the number of vibrations of the vocal bands per given instant; the tighter the bands are stretched, the greater will be the number of vibrations set up by the breath current, and the higher will be the resultant pitch. The average speaking voice has a range of about eight to ten notes. The moving of the voice up and down the scale should be almost constant in order to be most clearly expressive, and most agreeable to the ear. This movement in the scale is known as inflection. Our study and practice in connection with pitch and inflection aim at three chief results: an understanding of pitch and inflection as factors in the interpretation of thought and emotion; the acquiring of greater flexibility and control in the practical application of these factors; and an increase in the range of our effective speaking scale.

Pitch has traditionally been divided into three sections, or registers: high, middle, and low. This division serves a useful purpose, but it must not mislead us. It is true, as will be discussed in the next chapter, that for certain purposes a speaker tends to use more freely his upper register, and for others his middle and low, respectively. But in studying inflection the point