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The next characteristic of good reading and speaking, is just 'stress'. This word,-as used by Dr. Rush, in his Philosophy of the voice,-is meant to designate a peculiar modification of force, which distinguishes speech from music. A long drawn musical sound has its most forcible part,-in consequence of 'swell' and 'diminish',-at the middle portion of the note. The tones of speech on the contrary, although, in a few cases, they approach to this mode of voice,-usually have the chief force of each sound at the opening or the closing part. In music, the increase of force is, comparatively, gradual; in speech and reading, it is frequently abrupt. To these distinctive modes of voice the term 'stress' is applied.

To understand the application of this term, in detail, it becomes necessary to advert to the mode of creating vocal sounds. In vocal music, the result is obtained by full inspiration', (inhaling or drawing in the breath,) and, comparatively slight 'expiration', (giving forth the breath.) In this mode, much breath is drawn in, much retained, or withheld, and little given out at a time; and thus are produced those smooth, pure, and gradually increasing tones, which are appropriate to music,-all the breath that is given forth, being converted into sound, and none escaping, that is not vocalized. In notes of very short duration, singing and speech are, it is true, brought nearer to a resemblance. But this resemblance is more apparent than real; as may be observed in the execution of every good singer, which, in the most rapid passages, still produces the genuine effect of song, a differing from speech. The resemblance is owing solely to the brevity of sound, in such cases, which does not afford time for broad and marked distinctions to be drawn by the ear.

The modes of voice which constitute speech, or are exem plified in reading, are the following:

I. RADICAL STRESS. This form of force includes two modes, -'explosion' and 'expulsion'.

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1. Explosion' is an abrupt and instantaneous burst of voice, as, for example, in violent anger.

This, being an instinctive, unconscious, involuntary, impulsive emotion, does not allow time or disposition for any intentional or deliberate effect, but makes the creation of vocal sound seem an irrepressible, spontaneous, electric production of nature, lying equally out of the reach of the understanding and the will. This tone has its contrast in the deep, calm, and regular swell of the tone of reverence, or the ample volume, and deliberate force, of conscious authority and command, in which the speaker is self-possessed and self-directed, and controls his vocal effects for purposes understood oi felt.

Contrast, for instance, the following angry shout of Douglas when enraged by the defiance of Marinion, with the examples of reverential invocation and authoritative command, which occur in subsequent paragraphs.

Example of 'Explosion'.

"UP DRAWBRIDGE! GROOM! What, WARDER,

Let the PORTCULLIS FALL!"

HÒ!

The sounds of all the accented vowels, in this style, fall upon the ear with an instantaneous, clear, sharp, abrupt, and cutting force, at the initial or 'radical' part of each.

2. Expulsion',-a conscious, intentional, and deliberate force, coming upon the ear with great power; as, for example, in the language of authoritative command.

Example of 'Expulsion'.

"Vànguard to right and left the front unfold!"

In this style, bold and forcible as it is, and even sudden as is its commencement, the accented vowels do not startle the ear with the abrupt shock of the tone of anger, exemplified above. There is a partial, though very brief, swell, perceptible, in the 'radical', or initial part, of each sound.-Both of the preceding examples are classed under the head of 'radical' stress; as their chief force lies in the 'radical', or first part of each sound.

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II. MEDIAN STRESS. This mode of force is exhibited in, 1. Effusion',-a moderate, gentle, and gradual swelling of tone, as, for example, in the calm and tranquil utterance of reverential feeling, in which no disturbing impulse agitates or forces out the breath, but the voice, somewhat as in music, glides out, with a smooth effusive stream of sound, enlarging as it flows, but never bursting out into irregular violence.

Example of 'Effusion'.

"But chiefly Thou, O Spirit! that dost prefer,
Before all temples, the upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for Thou know'st."

The 'effusive' style avoids every thing abrupt or sudden in the formation of sound, and swells gradually to its acmé', (chief point,) at the middle of each sound,-in the manner of music; and from this point diminishes', or decreases, to the close. This species of 'stress' is accordingly denominated 'median',-from the word medium, or middle.

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2. 'Suppression', a powerful force of 'explosion' or 'expulsion', kept down, in the very act of giving forth the voice, and converted into the 'median' form, as in the case of a person communicating, in great earnestness of feeling, with an

other, standing at a distance, and yet exceedingly anxious not to be heard by a third person, still farther off,-or, as in the tone of extreme earnestness, uttered by the watcher in the chamber of a sick person.

Examples of 'Suppression'.

1. "Hark! James, listen! for I must not speak loud. I do not wish John to hear what I am saying!"

2. "Step softly! speak low! make no noise!"

This mode of voice may be termed a 'half whisper'; it is the 'aspirated' and 'impure' tone, which lies half way between the ordinary tone of the voice and a whisper. It is caused by allowing a vast quantity of breath, not 'vocalized', to rush out along with the sound of the voice. It is, in fact, 'explosion', or 'expulsion', merged, as it were, or drowned, in a stream of 'aspiration', and made to assume the style of median stress'

III. VANISHING STRESS. Besides the 'radical', or initial, and the 'median', or middle, 'stress', there is also a 'vanishing', or final 'stress', which begins softly, swells onward, and bursts out suddenly, and leaves off abruptly, at the very close of a sound, as in the jerking termination of the tone of impatient feeling.

Thus, in the language of maddened impatience, as uttered by Queen Constance, in her frenzy of grief and disappointment, at the overthrow of all her hopes for her son, in consequence of the peace formed between France and England:

Example of 'Vanishing Stress'.

"War! war!-no peace: peace is to me a war!"

In tones of this class, the voice withholds its force, and delays the explosion or expulsion, till the last moment of the emphatic sound, and then throws it out with an abrupt, wrenching force, which resembles that of a stone suddenly jerked from the hand. This species of stress, as it lies at the 'vanish', or last point, of a sound, is termed 'vanishing stress'.

IV. COMPOUND STRESS. The designation of 'compound stress', is applied to that mode of forming tones, which throws out the force of the voice in such a manner as to mark, with great precision, the 'radical' and the vanish', or the beginning and the end, of each accented or emphatic sound.

Thus, in the tone of surprise, which is marked by a bold, 'upward slide', beginning very low, and ending very high, the voice strikes with peculiar force on the first and last points of the slide, in order to stamp it more distinctly on the ear, as the vehicle of intense emotion. A striking example again occurs in the language of Queen

Constance, in the situation mentioned before, when overwhelmed with astonishment at the news she has just received.

Example of 'Compound Stress'.

"Gone to be married! gone to swear a peace!

Gone to be friends!"

V. THOROUGH STRESS. This designation is applied to that species of force, which marks all the forms of 'stress', 'radical', 'median', and 'vanishing', with intense power, on the same sound; so as to cause the character of all to be deeply felt, as in a bold shout, or any other very impressive form of voice, which indicates intense emotion.

Example of Thorough Stress'.

"Awake! arise! or be for ever fallen!"

In this shout of the arch-fiend to his fallen host, the tone, it will be perceived, is not that of mere volume or quantity, of mere loudness or physical force, as in the mechanical act of calling, or the voice of a public crier. It has the wide 'falling inflection' of authority and command, and the forcible 'radical' stress and 'expulsive' ut- / terance of courage; and to preserve the effect of all these, it must not only begin and close vividly, but exhibit a 'median' 'swell', and a distinct vanish'. It must, in other words, give distinctive force and character to the beginning, the middle, and the end of each accented sound.

VI. INTERMITTENT STRESS, OR TREMOR. The 'tremor', (trembling,) or 'intermittent' stress, takes place in the utterance of all those emotions which enfeeble the voice, by their overpowering effect on feeling; as, for example, in fear and grief, and sometimes joy, when extreme. This mode of utterance characterizes, also, the feeble voice of age, or the tone of a person shivering with cold.

Examples of the former will be found in the section on 'Expressive Tones'. Of the latter we have instances in the language, both of the old woman and the farmer, in Wordsworth's ballad, 'Goody Blake and Harry Gill'.

Examples of Tremor.

1. "She prayed, her withered hand uprearing,
While Harry held her by the arm,-

'God! who art never out of hearing,

[Tremor] {Oh may he never more be warm!"""

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2. "No word to any man he utters,
Abed or up, to young or old;
But ever to himself he mutters,
'Poor Harry Gill is very cold!'"

The following characters may be used to express the different forms

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The word 'tone', in elocution, may be used, as in music to signify the interval which exists in successive sounds of the voice, as they occur in the gamut, or musical scale. But it is commonly used as equivalent, nearly, to the term 'expression', in music, by which is meant the mode of voice as adapted, or not adapted, to feeling. Thus we speak of the 'tones' of passion,-of a 'false' tone,-of a school' tone.

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Every tone of the voice implies, 1. a certain 'force', or quantity', of sound;-2. a particular 'note', or 'pitch';3. a given 'time', or 'movement ';-4. a peculiar 'stress'; 5. a special 'quality', or character;-6. a predominating 'inflection'. Thus, the tone of awe, has a very soft force', a very low pitch', a 'very slow movement', 'median stress', and pectoral quality', or that deep murmuring resonance, which makes the voice seem as it were partially muffled in the chest, together with a partial 'monotone', prevailing at the opening of every clause, and every sentence. All these properties belong to the natural utterance of awe; take away any one, and the effect of emotion is lost,-the expression sounds deficient to the ear.

[xx] Example 1. "The bell | strikes | òne. We take [..] no note of time, [=] But from its lòss: to give it, then, a tongue, [m.s.] Is wise in man. As if an àngel | spoke || [p. q.] I feel the solemn sound. If heard aright,

It is the knell of my departed hours.

Where are they?-With the years beyond the flood."

* These marks indicate [xx] 'very soft,' [o] 'very low', [=] 'very slow'; [m. s.] 'median stress'; [p. 2.] 'pectoral quality'. See Key to the Notation of Expressive Tone', on next page.

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