PER VI. PERSONATION. ERSONATION consists of those modulations, or changes of the voice, necessary to represent two or more persons as speaking. 2. This Principle of Expression, upon the côrrect application of which much of the beauty and efficiency of delivery depends, is employed in reading dialogues and other pieces of a conversational nature. 3. The student will exercise his discrimination and ingenuity in studying the character of persons and things to be represented, and so modulate his voice as best to personate them. EXERCISE IN PERSONATION. He. Dost thou love wandering? Whither wouldst thou go? She. Oh, yes, I love the woods, and streams, so gãy; Whêre such things never were, nor e'er shall be. She. O father, let us find our frozen rocks! Let's seek that country of all countries--HOME! He. Seest thou these orange flowers? this pälm that rears Its head up toward heaven's blue and cloudless dōme? She. I dream, I dream; mine eyes are hid in tears; My heart is wandering round our ancient home. He. Why, then, we'll go. Farewell, ye tender skies, She. On, on! Let's pass the swallow as he flies! Farewell, kind land! Now. father, now-FOR HOME! -The red rose läughs, "She is near, she is near; VII. PAUSES. I. PAU DEFINITIONS. AUSES are suspensions of the voice in reading and speaking, used to mark expectation and uncertainty, and to give effect to expression. 2. Pauses are often more eloquent than words. They differ greatly in their frequency and their length. In lively conversation and rapid argument, they are few and short. In serious, dignified, and pathetic speaking, they are more numerous, and more prolonged. 3. The Pause is marked thus in the following illustrations and exercises. THE II. RULES FOR PAUSES. HE Subject of a Sentence, or that of which something is declared, when either emphatic or compound, requires a pause after it; as, ។ The cause will raise up armies. Sincerity and truth form the basis of every virtue. 2. Two Nouns in the same Case, without a connecting word, require a pause between them; as, I admire Webster the orator. 3. Adjectives that follow the words they qualify or limit require pauses immediately before them; as, ༈ He had a mind deep active well stored with knowledge. 4. But, hence, and other words that mark a sudden change, when they stand at the beginning of a sentence, require a pause åfter them; as, But ༈ these joys are his. Hence Solomon calls the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom. 9 5. In Cases of Ellipsis, a pause is required where one or more words are omitted; as, He thanked Mary many times Kate but once. ༈ man friend, that brother. ༈ Call this 6. A Slurred Passage requires a pause immediately before and immediately after it; as, The plumage of the mocking-bird though none of the hōmeliest has nothing bright or showy in it. These rules, though important if properly applied, are by no means complete; nor can any be invented which shall meet all the cases that arise in the complicated relations of thought. A good reader or speaker pauses, on an average, at every fifth or sixth word, and in many cases much mōre frequently. In doing this, he will often use what may be called suspensive quantity. III. SUSPENSIVE QUANTITY. USPENSIVE QUANTITY means prolonging the end of a word, without a reäl pause; thus suspending, without whōlly interrupting, the progress of sound. 2. This Prolongation on the last syllable of a word is indicated thus in the following examples. It is used chiefly for three purposes: 1st. To avoid too frequent a use of pauses; as, Her lover sinks-she sheds no ill-timed tear; Her chief is slain-she fills his fatal post; Her fellows flee-she checks their base career; The foe retires-she heads the rallying host. 2d. To produce a slighter disjunction than that of a pause; and thus at once to separate and unite; as, Would you kill your friend and benefactor? 3d. To break up the current of sound into small pōrtions, easily managed by the speaker without the abruptness which would result from pausing whenever this relief was needed; and to give ease in speaking; as, Warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze, Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees. GENERAL RULE.-When a preposition is followed by as many as three or four words which depend upon it, the word preceding the preposition will either have suspensive quantity, or else a pause; as, He is the pride of the whole country. Students will tell which of the preceding rules or principles is illustrated by the following exercises--both the marked and the unmarked. EXERCISES IN PAUSES. 1. All promise is poor dilatory man. 2. Procrastination is the thief of time. 3. Weeping may endure for a night but joyeômeth in the morning. 4. St. Paul the Apostle wrote to Timothy. ។ ན 5. Solomon, the son of David, was king of Israël. ༈ 6. He was a friend gentle generous good-humored affectionate. 7. You see a gentleman, polished, easy, quiet, witty, and, socially, your equal. 8. Husbands and fäthers think of their wives and children. 9. But I shall say no more pity and charity being dead to a heart of stōne. ༈ 10. The night wind with a desolate moan swept by. 11. Here come men ។ women❤ children. ༈ 12. It matters věry little ។ what immediate spot may have been the birth-place of such a man as Washington. No people can claim no country can appropriate him. The boon of Providence to the human race his fame is eternity and his dwelling-place creation. ༈ 13. Who like Washington after having emancipated a hemisphere resigned its crown and preferred the retirement of domestic life ༈ to the adoration of a land he might almost be said to have created? ༈ 14. How shall we rank thee upon glory's page, ༈ ༈ Thou more than soldier and just less than sage! Far less ༈ than all thou hast fôrborne to be. |