IV. Practice in Diphthongs. - Moving the jaws vigorously, repeat oi-ai-ou, oi-ai-ou, etc.

V. Practice in Vowel and Consonantal Combination. a. In uncultivated voices, the muscular effort of articulating the consonants closes the back of mouth and the throat, thus keeping the vowel sounds down. In stammering and stuttering, the chief trouble is the same; i.e., the articulation, so to speak, swallows the vowel. So practise words containing consonants and open or long vowels, keeping vowel sounds as near the lips and the throat as wide open as possible, with the lower jaw forward and the throat in the position of wailing. If the exercise tires the muscles on the outside of the throat, no matter.

b. Repeat the words in III., using, at first, a separate action of the diaphragm with each consonant, and dwelling upon each very distinctly, thus: b-o-b, d-au-á.

A cultivated voice out of practice can be prepared for public speaking by a two days' repetition of the above exercises.

show

changing through bosh

cease

souse

* Also, kng in k(i)ng.

↑ Practise much on low tones. Do not practise these unless you lisp.

c. Moving the lips and diaphragm vigorously, repeat with ĕ and short vowels

Wee-weck-wick-wack-wock, or quee-queck-quick

quack-quock.

Learn to use the open vowels with consonants, and the short vowels will usually take care of themselves.

d. Practise difficult combinations of consonants with and without vowels. (See § 7: IV.)

Add also t or d and st to the first three columns of the following:

In practising upon the consonants it is better to repeat over the separate consonants or combinations of consonants rather than the whole words in which they are found. Otherwise there is danger that the articulation, instead of becoming proper, will become precise, one of the worst of faults. In order to appreciate the complex and subtle character of correct pronunciation, notice the following:

Table showing Vowel Sounds, and how they are modified by consonant sounds associated with them:

In each line below, when read across the page, the vowel sound is the same, but, whenever one pronounces it quickly and naturally, the consonant following it changes the position of the tongue, so that, instinctively and necessarily, this is

1. Active and Passive chest, abdomen and sides alternately, — with empty and full lungs. Arm movements, page 4.

2. Inhale and exhale slowly, - first at abdomen, then at lower sides, then at chest.

3. With elevated chest, inhale and exhale at abdomen and lower sides.

4. Exhale through one nostril with compressed lips, with whispered ah.

5. Keep moving tongue's tip from lower teeth back along roof of mouth.

6. With tongue's tip out, keep moving its root and the larynx as if swallowing.

7. With fingers between teeth, keep opening lips.

8. Look in a mirror and keep lifting uvula.

9. Sit straight, half fill lungs, hold abdomen stiff- and empty lungs with puffs of p (uh)-p-p.

10. Repeat several times from abdomen wo; waw; and oi, ai, ou. 11. Vocalize and whisper uh, uh, uh.

12. Repeat rapidly until lungs are emptied, la, la, la. Roll r-r-r. Sound ng, ng, k; and ee, ee, mm.

*Those who are manufacturing phonetic alphabets should notice that the peculiar sound of the vowel that distinguishes ask and bath from fat, far and father from what, and bur from but, depends on the following consonant, and therefore needs no separate vowel representative. Ask and bath are to fat as quiz and rhythm to it, buzz and mother to but, puss and butcher to put, browse and mouthing to out: so between father and what the difference is no greater than between author and God, or mouthing and out; and bur is to but as far to what poor to moot, mere to meet.

13. Sound each following initial consonant alone; then with the vowels; and then with all the letters following both itself and the other initial consonants:

14. With full orotund tone (see § 135) and deep breathing, repeat, "Roll or, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll! Independence, constitution, abounding, amazement."

Read from page 22, as directed on page 9, with special reference to Articulation.

LESSON III.

NOTE. From this point on the numbering of the sections and references to them correspond to those in the "Orator's Manual."

EMPHASIS.

§ 17. The first thing noticeable in the utterance of consecutive words is, that certain of them are uttered with more weight of voice than others are; that they receive what, for this reason, is termed an emphasis. A little thought will evince that this emphasis is given to words mainly because they are conceived of as introducing into the general drift of the phraseology more weight of meaning than other words do; often as in themselves conveying the specific meaning that characterizes a whole passage. A man, e.g., may remark: "I intend to walk to Boston." Five persons hearing him may exclaim, respectively, "You intend," etc., "You intend," etc., "You intend to walk," etc., "You intend to walk to Boston!" "You intend to walk to Boston!" In each case the word (in italics) emphasized indicates that it, rather than any other, specifies that which conveys to the conception of the speaker the import, information, or peculiarity of the expression.

This example shows also the importance, if we wish to be rightly understood, of emphasizing the right words in the right way. It will be noticed that the same phraseology may be made to convey almost as many different ideas as there are different words in it to be emphasized. Here is the

§ 18. General Principle Underlying Emphasis. Words or phrases conceived of as introducing new importance, information or peculiarity into the general thought of a passage are emphasized; those that merely carry forward the gen

eral thought, expressing what is of little value in itself, or is known, acknowledged, forestalled or repetitious, either in the way of statement or sequence, are slighted.

a. For illustrations consult §§ 40, 41, 42. All that are necessary for our present purpose may be considered in connection with the following:

§ 19. Antithetic Emphasis. Antithetic or contrasted words or phrases necessarily introduce importance, peculiarity, etc., into the general thought, and are emphasized.

1. If we have no regard for our own character, we ought, at least, to regard the character of others.

2. The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are bold as a lion.

3. Without were fightings; within were fears.

4. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

§ 20. Transferred Emphasis. When a word or clause that has been once emphasized is repeated soon after, the emphasis, unless there be some special reason for directing attention again to the same thought, is transferred to some other word or clause; e.g.

1. Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ, — whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How, then, doth David in spirit call him Lord? If David, then, call him Lord, how is he his son?

2. How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say unto him, Fatlier, I have sinned.

3. He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.

Also John vii. 41, 42.

a. But if the repeated word has a new import or refers to a different object, it may be emphasized; e.g.

1. And he began to be in want, and he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into the fields to feed swine.

2. Then he said, I pray thee, therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house.