66 And shout, and groan, and sabre stroke, Back to thy punishment, False fugitive! and to thy speed add wings; Thy lingerings, or with one stroke of this dart, "This day's the birth of sorrows! This hour's work SEMITONE. (Plaintiveness of speech, or the semitonic movement.) In ascending the musical scale, if the tone of the voice, in moving from the seventh space to the eighth, be compared to the utterance of a plaintive sentiment, their identity will be perceived. The interval from the seventh to the eighth is a semitone. Every one knows a plaintive utterance, and the pupil may at any time discriminate a semitone, and hit its interval by affecting a plaintive expression. Subjects of pathos and tenderness, uttered on any pitch, high or low, are capable of being sounded with this marked plaintiveness of character. Let the pupil devote much time to this subject. He must acquire the power of transferring its plaintiveness to any interval, in order to give a just coloring to expressions which call for its use. This movement of the voice is a very frequent element in expression, and performs high offices in speech. It is used in expressions of grief, pity, and supplication. It is the natural and unstudied language of sorrow, contrition, condolence, commiseration, tenderness, compassion, mercy, fondness, vexation, chagrin, impatience, fatigue, pain, with all the shades of difference which may exist between them. It is appropriate in the treatment of all subjects which appeal to human sympathy. When the semitone is united with quantity and tremor, the force of the expression is greatly increased. The tremulous semitonic movement may be used on a single word, the more emphatically to mark its plaintiveness of character; or it may, be used in continuation through a whole sentence, when the speaker, in the ardor of distressful and tender supplication, would give utterance to the intensity of his feelings. EXAMPLES IN PLAINTIVE UTTERANCE. "My mother! when I heard that thou wast dead, "Would I had never trod this English earth, Ye have angels' faces, but Heaven knows your hearts, — "MOURNFULLY! Oh, mournfully It speaks a tale of other years— This midnight wind doth moan! Ere death hath made it lone." "WELL knows the fair and friendly moon The band that Marion leads The glitter of their rifles, The scampering of their steeds. That lifts their tossing manes. Before the peep of day. "Grave men there are by broad Santee, Grave men with hoary hairs, Their hearts are all with Marion, For Marion are their prayers.. And lovely ladies greet our band, With kindliest welcoming, With smiles like those of summer, And tears like those of spring MOTHERWELL. For them we wear these trusty arms, And lay them down no more Till we have driven the Briton Forever from our shore." ALAS! for the rarity Sisterly, brotherly, Feelings had changed: Where the lamps quiver From window and casement, The bleak winds of March Made her tremble and shiver; But not the dark arch, Or the black flowing river: Glad to death's mystery Swift to be hurl'd- BRYANT. T. Hoor. THE PAST. How wild and dim this life appears! When o'er our eyes, half closed in tears, Are faintly glittering by! And still forgotten while they go ! The amber clouds one moment lie, We scarce believe it shone ! Heaven-airs amid the harp-strings dwell, Dreams follow dreams, thro' the long night-hours, Each lovelier than the last But, ere the breath of morning-flowers, That gorgeous world flies past; And many a sweet angelic cheek, Whose smiles of fond affection speak, Glides by us on this earth; While in a day we cannot tell Where shone the face we loved so well In sadness, or in mirth ! WHERE ARE THE DEAD? WILSON. WHERE are the mighty ones of ages past, |