American Liberty..... Antony's Oration over Cæsa 's Bɔdy.. Wm. Shakespeare.. Aristocracy Centennial Oration. Robert R. Livingston Cemetery......Abraham Lincoln. James G. Blaine VI-THE DIDACTIC STYLE. The DIDACTIC STYLE, properly speaking, includes the matter-offact or unemotional expressions of thought and feeling, and rightly ncludes all descriptive and narrative pieces, and all such as is generally designated as "common reading "—namely: Essays, conve ́sations, newspaper, and other compositions or selections which contain doctrines, principles, precepts, or rules, calculated simply to instruct the mind. This style embraces fully two-thirds of everything that finds its way to the printer, and nearly everything that is spoken. The learner will find that the remarks on pages 19 to 21 inclusive may be studied with profit. The Didactic Style should be rendered in a pure tone, in its expulsive form, although a variety of tone, in a good reader, will add interest and charm in its delivery. The begin ner should exercise great care against overmuch variety, thereby rendering the reading unreal and flippant. Distinct articulation is particularly necessary in the delivery of this style; a moderate force, time and volume, with middle pitch and radical stress of voice, is demanded. The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers... Felicia Hemans. 413 The Cataract of Lodore.. The Crowded Street.. The Laborer ... VII. THE GAY AND JOYOUS STYLE. This STYLE may properly be used in the rendering of all expressed thought or feeling in which animated, merry, jovial. sportive, vivacious, lively, happy, and beautiful ideas predominate. It denotes a degree of life and animation greater than cheerfulness, and yet does not rise to impassioned emotion. All such selections should be delivered in rapid time, high, and often very high pitch, median and frequently radical stress, long slides, moderate to impassioned force, and a natural tone in its expulsive or explosive form. VIII. THE VEHEMENT AND IMPASSIONED STYLES. The VEHEMENT AND IMPASSIONED STYLES may be appropriate. ly used in the delivery of all excited, passionate, vehement, impetuous, spirited or furious, and very forcible or very ardent thought and feeling as expressed in impassioned poetry, and in the impassioned portions of sermons, orations, and speeches. It is used with power in all very bold pieces, and all such violent passions as anger, intense scorn, defiance, revenge, hate, etc. Impassioned pieces should generally have very loud force, very long slides, abrupt, and often compound stress. The time accelerating as the passion cumulates from moderate to faster, with very long quantity, median and high pitch and quality, expulsive form of the orotund tone. Where the passion is malignant the tone should be slightly aspirated, and often gulturai. IX. THE BOLD AND JUBILANT STYLES, The BOLD STYLE is appropriately used in all selections, words or phrases where daring, brave, intrepid and fearless thought and feeling are expressed. The JUBILANT STYLE is used in uttering songs of triumph, exultation, or animated courage. The SHOUTING STYLE, being a loud outcry expressive of joy or animation, is chiefly used in the expression of those words and phrases which are employed in calling or commanding. Few selections require it throughout. In rendering these styles the expulsive form of the pure tone, very high pitch, radical stress, impassioned force and rapid movement should be employed. The DRAMATIC STYLE is appropriately used in the expression of mixed emotions, or where different sentiments are combined in one piece. The student should not attempt the rendition of this style until the elements of expression for each and all of the previous styles are clearly understood and readily employed in practice. This accomplished, it will be comparatively easy to render the natural expression of all selections in the dramatic style. The dramatic style, then, is a combination of the previous styles, and it is not unusual to find the combination of all, or nearly every style, in one piece; hence the characteristic elements in the expression of each must be, as far as possible, preserved in reading the compound or dramatic style. How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix................Robert Browning....... 386 Imaginary Meeting of Satan, Sin and HUMOR, as defined by Webster, "that quality of the imagination which gives to ideas a wild or fantastic turn, and tends to excite laughter or mirth by ludicrous images or representations." While it is less brilliant and poignant than wit, it is always more agreeable; and when employed solely to raise mirth, will make conversation more pleasant. The reader should remember that the 'uticrous |