RECITATION NINTH.

OF PLAINTIVENESS IN SPEECH, OR THE USE OF THE SEMITONE.

I SHALL state merely what is directly practical on this subject. Persons desirous of looking more deeply into it, may consult with great advantage, Dr. Rush's profound disquisition on the chromatic melody of speech, Sec. 18, page 247, of his "Philosophy of the human voice."

Let the following vowels sounds be uttered with plaintiveness, and they will slide through the interval of a semitone, a, i, o.

Let them be sounded with a marked plaintiveness of character, at high pitch, at a low one, and at one that is intermediate between high and low. This will show that the plaintiveness is inherent in the semitonic slide, wherever it may begin in the compass of the voice. In general, however, a low radical pitch is best adapted to subjects requiring the semitone. All subjects of great pathos and tenderness, require the use of the semitone. It is the natural element of the plaintive emotions. Let the student, therefore, acquire a command over it. This will be best effected by turning to the table of the vowels and consonants, and sounding them with strenuous endeavour to give them an unequivocally plaintive character, until it is distinctly marked.

Let the following sentences then be read with a conspicuously plaintive expression.

My mother, when I learned that thou wast dead,
Say, wast thou conscious of the tears I shed?
Hovered thy spirit o'er thy sorrowing son?
Wretch, even then, life's journey just begun.
Perhaps thou gavest me, though unseen, a kiss;
Perhaps a tear, if souls can weep in bliss.
Ah! that maternal smile, it answers yes.
I heard the bell toll'd on thy funeral day;
I saw the hearse that bore thee slow away;
And turning, from my nursery window, drew
A long, long sigh, and wept a last adieu.

Quantity is always united with the semitone, when it is employed in solemn and serious subjects; it then assumes the form of the wave. The semitone is appropriate to love, pity, complaint, vexation, disappointment, sorrow, penitential supplication, and pain of all kinds.

EXAMPLE 1. Love.

Oh! Mary, dear, departed shade,
Where is thy place of blissful rest?
See'st thou thy lover, lowly laid?

Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast?

EXAMPLE 2. Pity.

"Oh! sailor boy, sailor boy, peace to thy soul."

EXAMPLE 3. Complaint.

Q.Kath. Would I had never trod this English earth,
Or felt the flatteries that grow upon it.

Ye have angel's faces, but heaven knows your hearts :
I am the most unhappy woman living.

EXAMPLE 4. Deep sorrow.

"Oh my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom,

would God I had died for thee, O Absalom my son, my son."

EXAMPLE 5. Disappointment.

"Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither rain, upon you; for there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away. The shield of Saul as though it had not been anointed with oil.

EXAMPLE 6. Penitential supplication. The instance quoted, page 108, is an example.

EXAMPLE 7. Bodily pain.

"Oh! Griffith sick to death,

My legs like loaden branches bow to the earth,
Willing to leave their burthen. Reach a chair,
So, now me thinks I feel a little ease."

In most of the above cited examples, the reading contemplated, is that which exhibits personal feeling in the highest degree. If some of them are read in a narrative manner, we may drop the semitone retaining the long quantity. Language effects its objects in two ways; first by the particular words employed, and their connection; and secondly by the intonation put upon them. Words are in themselves symbols of feeling, but their effect is heightened by special conditions of melody. Where the language is in itself solemn and plaintive, the superaddition of long quantity and a predominant use of the monotone, will be sufficient for a moderate degree of pathos. But the highest expression of mournful feeling, can only be effected by the semitone.

TREMOR OF THE VOICE.

IN plain reading and speaking, this element is seldom

throat, and the neighing T, P, K, as producing

required. The gurgling of the of a horse are instances of it. 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 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,