III. ANGER AND DEFIANCE. I will not bend the knee ! When the tempest muttered low; The pectoral, like the aspirate, is the natural language of intense passion. Without control of this quality of voice many of the finest passages of the Bible, Shakspeare, and Milton, cannot be impressively uttered. Emphasis not unfrequently requires the use of the pectoral quality. Great care will be required on the part of the pupil that the too frequent use of this quality do not injure the Pure Tone and Orotund. SECTION XI. GUTTURA L. The guttural is that quality of voice in which the sound is sent forth from the organs in a rough, harsh, discordant tone, with the resonance in the lower part of the throat. It resembles in quality the growling utterrance of the lower animals. To cultivate this quality of voice practice the elements and words with a muffled, harsh, smothered tone. GUTTURAL, EFFUSIVE FORM-FIRST EXERCISE. 1. 1, as heard in lull, fill. The guttural, in the effusive form, is the quality appropriate for the expression of settled hate, malice, loathing and contempt. EXAMPLES: I. SETTLED HATE AND MALICE. [From "Merchant of Venice."-Shakspeare.] I'll have my bond: I will not hear thee speak: II. LOATHING AND CONTEMPT. Guttural, Effusive Form. [From "Merchant of Venice."-Shakspeare.] Yes, to smell pork: to eat of the habitation which your prophet, the Nazarite, conjured the devil into. I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. GUTTURAL, EXPULSIVE FORM-EXERCISE. Repeat the elements and words of last exercise in the expulsive form, guttural quality. The guttural in the expulsive form is appropriate for the expression of deep-seated revenge, settled rage, intense loathing, and similar malignant passions. EXAMPLES: I. DEEP-SEATED REVENGE. Guttural, Expulsive Form. [From "Merchant of Venice."-Shakspeare.] To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my evenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me of half a million: laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated my enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like vou in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge! If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge! The villainy you teach me I will execute! and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction! GUTTURAL, EXPLOSIVE FORM-EXERCISE. Repeat the elements and words on pages 85, 86 in the explosive form, guttural quality. The guttural in the explosive form is the language of intense anger, hate and detestation. EXAMPLE: INTENSE HATE, LOATHING AND ANGER. Guttural, Explosive Form. [From "Seminole's Defiance."-Patten.] I loathe you with my bosom! I scorn you with mine eye! The guttural is employed only in the expression of the more violent forms of the malignant passions. In the utterance of these it is powerful in its effect over the mind and heart. Practiced moderately, its effect on the vocal organs is beneficial; but if carried too far injurious. SECTION XII. ORAL. The oral is that quality of voice in which the sound is sent forth from the organs in a thin, feeble tone, with the resonance in the forward part of the mouth. It is heard in the utterance of persons in a feeble state of health, and frequently by those who are afflicted with affectation. But little difficulty will be experienced in producing this quality of voice sufficiently perfect for practical purposes. The great difficulty with most public speakers will be to avoid its unconscious use. No defect is more common than the improper use of the oral tone. One or two illustrations will be sufficient for practice. Exercises on the elements and words will be unnecessary. The oral is the quality of voice appropriate for the expression of feebleness, exhaustion and fatigue. EXAMPLES: I. FEEBLENESS. Oral, Effusive Form. [From "Little Jim."—Anon.] "Mother, the angels, they do smile, and beckon 'Little Jim.' I have no pain, dear mother, now; but O, I am so dry! "Tell father, when he comes from work, I said good-night to him; And, mother, now I'll go to sleep." Alas! poor "Little Jim." II. Oral, Erpulsive Form. [From "Wounded."-Rev. W. E. Miler.] Let me lie down Just here in the shade of this cannon-torn tree, Here, low on the trampled grass, where I may see The surge of the combat. and where may hear The glad cry of victory, cheer upon cheer: Let me lie down. O, it was grand! Like the tempest we charged, in the triumph to share; The oral quality of voice is indispensable in the personation of characters exhibiting feebleness, weakness, languor, or sickness. Works on Elocution generally ignore altogether the Aspirate, Pectoral, Guttural, and Oral, regarding them as defects in quality. And for the utterance of ordinary thought they are defects, but for the expression of passion and emotion they are quite as important as Pure Tone and Orotund. Without command of these qualities it is impossible to express appropriately many of the higher and nobler forms of feeling, or any of the baser and malignant passions. That the student of Elocution may know when to use, as well as when to avoid, these qualities, they have been presented in detail in their appropriate relations. The nasal is that quality of voice in which the sound seems to have a resonance in the nasal organs. It is used only in mimicry and burlesque, and hence no exercises or illustrations are needed. |