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Now to read this well we must put ourselves in the author's place, try to think what he thought, see the shell in imagination, and finally feel toward it the same admiration that he felt. Moreover, we must strive to make our listeners see and understand as well as share our feelings.

One might read these lines with an intonation that would convey great contempt, the underlying thought being "how ridiculous for poets to imagine such nonsense about a mere shell." Of course this would be entirely wrong, but it would be possible to do it without changing a word, simply by a difference in expression.

We see, then, that one must determine the underlying meaning of a given passage before he can be sure of reading it properly, and supply mentally many descriptive or emotional words that are suggested but not written. To do this, we must study the context, that is, what precedes and what follows it. We must know something of the circumstances under which it was composed, and understand the historical or personal allusions which we often find in literature. Not only must we understand and sympathize with the author, but we must know how to use the voice so as to express his meaning naturally. In Longfellow's "The Reaper and the Flowers," occur these lines:

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Now, one might read this, as is often done, in a careless, indif

ferent manner, or what would be almost as bad

ful and painstaking way, as if one were

in arithmetic. It is plain that nei

be right. To do justice to thi

imagination the weeping

sympathize with

the third and

press her hope

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emphatic syllables, thus: "How are you to-day?" not "How | are you to-day |?"

When speaking in a large room or where we wish to be impressive, we speak more slowly than usual, but keep the same proportion between the words in each group and between the different groups. That is, if we speak in a more serious

manner, we also pause longer.

EMPHASIS.

We dwell upon or emphasize the word which makes the new idea most clear. All things that are supposed to be known beforehand are passed over lightly, spoken more rapidly, and usually in a slightly lower pitch than the important words; as in the following example:

On the charge of sorcery and diabolical possession [mentioned before], she still appealed firmly to God. "I hold to my Judge," she said, as her earthly judges gave sentence against her [already spoken of], "to the King of Heaven and Earth."

Explanatory clauses and parentheses unless very important are passed over lightly; as

Now the queen (by reason of the words of the king and his lords) came into the banquet house.

What? said he.

Serious thoughts are often emphasized by being read slowly, and on a much lower pitch than the rest :

But the tender grace of a day that is dead

Will never come back to me.

When we are very earnest, we pause before or after the emphatic word to call special attention to it:

There is a Reaper || whose name || is Death.

'Twas an Angel || visited the green earth
And took the flowers away.

The same rules hold good of thought groups and sentences as of single words. The most important thoughts are spoken slowly and carefully, the less important, or subordinate phrases or sentences, are passed over lightly.

INFLECTION.

By inflection or slide, we mean the upward or downward movement of the voice on a syllable. Inflection is most noticeable on the emphatic syllables and on the final syllable of a phrase or sentence:

The falling slide or inflection (\) is heard in complete

statements:

This is all I have to say.

It is also heard when we are very positive, earnest, or commanding, whether the sentence has the form of a statement or of a question:

I tell you I will!

Have you finished your lesson?

Sit down, sir!

When the statement is not complete, but depends on something else, or when we are uncertain instead of positive, or indifferent instead of earnest, the voice does not fall, but has a suspensive or slightly rising inflection (/):

This is all I have to say [but others may know more].
I think this is all I have to say [but I am not certain].
Oh yes, I will [if you wish it].

He said "come!" "Come!" he said.

Have you finished your lesson? [Indifference.]

Won't you sit down, sir?

Direct questions, that can be answered by yes or no, have a very distinct rising inflection:

Have you finished your

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- son? les

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The greater the degree of emphasis the longer will be the slide, and the wider the range of melody, thus:

Have you finished your

les-son?

[I am surprised!]

or peace so sweet

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as to be purchased at the

Sit down, sir.

This is very noticeable when we reiterate a phrase, with increasing emphasis, as in calling or commanding : —

Come here! Come

here!

Come

HERE I say!

There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged. Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable; and, let it come!

it, let it come!

See also what is said under Volume and Force.

I repeat

Circumflex infl ctions (n) show a double meaning, as when we say "oh yes," meaning just the opposite. It is heard in sarcasm and irony:

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"Very good!" replied the pendulum; "it is vastly easy for you, Mistress Dial, who have always, as everybody knows, set yourself up above me, it is vastly easy for you, I say, to accuse other people of laziness! you who have nothing to do all your life but to stare people in the face, and to amuse yourself with watching all that goes on in the kitchen."

"The Discontented Pendulum."

The Monotone is an almost level tone heard in great solemnity or monotony; as in the following examples:

The muffled drum's sad roll has beat

The soldiers' last tattoo:

Break, break, break, on thy cold, gray stones, O sea.

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