ARTICULATION.

Articulation (articulatus, furnished with joints, distinct) depends upon the action of the jaws, palate, tongue and lips. The muscles of these organs must act promptly, easily and energetically in order to secure distinct articulation.

The attention of the student should be directed to the manner of forming letters, quite as much as to the sounds of the letters. If this is done, and the correct manner of formation insisted upon, indistinct and mumbling utterance will be easily, as well as rapidly, remedied.

All vowel sounds depend chiefly upon the extent and manner of opening the mouth. The consonants depend more upon the action of the lips and tongue. For example, b, m and p are formed by closing the lips firmly; d, t, 7 and n, by pressing the tip of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, just back of the upper teeth; f and v by pressing the upper teeth upon the under lip. Every sound in the alphabet can, and should be, so explained and practiced. Imperfect articulation should not be tolerated in reading or recitation. Analysis of words, that is, emphatic articulation of each letter composing them, as well as constant practice upon the following vowels, consonants and combinations, is specially recommended. The lists can be indefinitely extended and modified.

All impediments of speech-not caused by physical malformation can be helped and sometimes wholly cured by the judicious practice of Articulation. Stammering is caused chiefly by lack of strength or flexibility in the muscles mentioned.

EMPHASIS.

Emphasis, in its usual acceptation, is the force of voice laid upon a word to distinguish it from the other words in the same sentence.

As grammatical analysis is often necessary in determining emphasis, the student should be able to discriminate between simple, compound, complex, and inverted sentences; phrases and clauses; words in apposition; subject and predicate.

It is safe to assume that any word which can be left out of a sentence without injury to the sense, is not to be emphasized. Reduce the sentence to its lowest terms—that is, select from it only the words absolutely necessary for the expression of the meaning.

"Let the battle-flags of the brave volunteers, which they brought home from the war with the glorious record of their victories, be preserved intact." If this sentence is read with equal emphasis throughout, it requires a mental effort on the part of the reader to discover whether flags, volunteers, war, record, or victories, are to be preserved.

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"These poor, terrified men, who, by the way, were all foreigners, and who, from their lack of education, could not in the least understand the matter, were all severely blamed." The point of this sentence is, These men were blamed." That they were "severely blamed " is a fact, though not an essential one. That they were "all severely blamed;" that they "could not understand the matter" for which they were blamed; that their failure to understand was due to

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"their lack of education;" that they were "foreigners;" that they were poor, terrified men," these are all facts which add to and explain, without in the slightest degree altering the main statement, "These men were blamed." Skill is needed in the disposition of these subordinate and comparatively non-essential clauses, in order that the main idea shall be the most prominent one.

In general, the noun and the verb of a sentence are emphatic. There are, however, exceptions. For example, the first line of the second stanza of the familiar poem, "The Burial of Moses," is, "That was the grandest funeral that ever passed on earth." The emphasis would naturally -if thoughtlessly-be placed upon the word "funeral" as the subject of the line. But the whole of the first stanza describes the funeral. The fact, then, that it was a funeral is understood. The point of this line is its grandeur; consequently the emphasis must be transferred from the noun to the adjective.

As a rule, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs are to be emphasized when contrast or comparison is intended, or when the meaning implied is not fully expressed. Note the following examples from "Julius Cæsar."

1.

"But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him ?"-as we have sounded others.

2.

There is no fear in him," -as there is in Cæsar. "Let him not die," as Cæsar dies.

3.

"Call it my fear that keeps you in the house,"-implying, if she did not say, "and not your own."

4.

"Let's kill him. boldly, but not wrathfully.”

5.

"I do beseech ye, if ye bear me hard," as you did Cæsar.

6.

"There is no harm intended to your person," as there was to Cæsar's. "To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony."

7.

"That is enough to satisfy the Senate.

But for your private satis

faction -."

8.

"These lowly courtesies might fire the blood of ordinary men." I am not an ordinary man.

9.

"My credit now stands on such slippery ground —."

10.

"Or else were this a savage spectacle."

11.

"Thou art the ruins of the noblest man."

12.

"Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome."

13.

Speak your griefs softly; I do know you well.”

14.

"Most noble Cesar! O royal Cæsar!"

15.

“For I can raise no money by vile means.”

16.

A friendly eye could never sec such faults."

17.

Good reasons must of force give place to better."