QUESTIONS TO RECITATION SIXTH.

1. What is meant by radical pitch, as opposed to con

crete pitch?

2. How is a rising ditone formed?

3. Furnish an example.

4. How is a falling ditone formed?

5. Furnish an example.

6. How is a rising tritone formed? 7. Furnish an example.

8. How is an alternate phrase formed?

9. Furnish an example.

10. How a monotone?

11. Furnish an example.

12. How is the triad of the cadence formed?

13. Furnish an example.

14. The student is required to score out the sentence, page 77 on the black board.

15. What conditions of pitch belong to the simple melody of speech, and to what portions of discourse is it limited?

16. What is the most prevalent defect in the use of that melody?

17. What are the provisions for avoiding it?

18. What are the different forms of cadence?

19. Score an example of each upon the black board. 20. What is the peculiar effect of the rising slide in expression?

21. What of the falling?

22. What is the special effect of the cadence in expression?

23. What are the circumstances which justify a departure from the diatonic melody?

RECITATION SEVENTH.

FULL CADENCE.

THERE is another form of the cadence, which marks the termination of a subject more completely than any yet described. The fuller close of the voice effected by this cadence, is produced by falling a discrete third, or fifth, upon some syllable preceding the common cadence, and near enough to it to be connected with it by the ear. It is exemplified in the following diagram.

Such honors Il- ion to her lo

- ver paid.

And peace-ful slept the mighty Hector's shade.

The voice descends here a discrete third upon the word "slept," which occasions a more perfect close than if the word were retained within the range of the simple melody. This cadence should often be employed at the end of a paragraph, and always at the close of a discourse.

TRANSITION OF VOICE.

AS TO ITS RADICAL PITCH.

The first or prelusive note upon which a speaker sets out in his discourse has often an influence on its whole melody. There is a medium pitch of the voice, differing of course in different individuals, from which ascent and descent through its whole compass is easy. Speakers should be careful to become familiar with this note, and to acquire a habit of striking upon it at once. They should always set out with it in discourse, and often return to it. It is the note most frequently heard in ordinary conversation. Sôme speakers almost immediately after commencing their discourse, run up to the top of the voice, and continue that high pitch through the largest portion of an address, thereby producing a continued radical monotony. This is tiresome and offensive, in the highest degree. To aggravate the evil the high pitch is commonly united with great loudness, and an entire defect of the cadence is usually superadded. Others immediately, or very soon fall below the natural note and are not able to rise again. They cannot make a cadence, because they cannot descend below the pitch they have assumed. They cannot speak with force, because if the voice descends to a certain point below its middle note it ceases to be able to employ force. Indeed this descent may be carried so far, that the syllables become at length inaudible. To maintain fullness and strength of tone, let the middle note, or that note above and below, which the voice can be easily managed, be always

made the starting point of a discourse. Further, let a speaker accustom himself by frequent practice to rise and fall upon sentences, selected for the purpose, through the whole compass of the voice. Such a practice was common with the ancient speakers, and will be an effective means of removing the inconveniences we have described, by giving a ready command over the scale.

Another great fault of delivery arises from want of transition in tone at those parts of a discourse where the speaker enters on a new train of thought.

Such parts are generally divided, in writing, by paragraphs. But these, which require to be marked by changes of tone, are often quite disregarded. I have heard a boy at school deliver a long piece, distinguished by variety, without one marked transition of tone. I have heard students at college do the same in declamations composed by themselves, and well divided to the eye. Nay, I have heard every student do this in a long succession of speakers, where the pieces averaged ten or fifteen minutes in delivery. I have been led by these circumstances to point out this defect to my class, and have shewn them by the voice, how it might be avoided; and the redeeming effect of marked but temperate transitions has been most striking in their subsequent declamations. Nothing relieves the ear more agreeably than well regulated transition. It should be effected with temperance-but whenever a speaker enters on a new train of thought, whether in reading or speaking, notice should be given to the ear by the following means differently modified as to degree, according to circumstances.

1. By a change in the quality and pitch of the voice.

2. By an alteration in the rate of the voice as to quickness or slowness. 3. By an abatement of the previous force or loudness. 4. By a change in the phrases of melody.

The falling on the monotone, for a short space, has often a striking effect. All these circumstances will, of course, be most conspicuous during the pronunciation of the few first sentences, at the fresh paragraphs, after which the voice will naturally escape into the freer expansion of a more animated delivery. Always at the introduction of a subject requiring a new paragraph the directions here given should be followed. But, in slighter degrees, the changes insisted upon should occasionally be introduced, to mark the opening of successive sentences.

Pupils never find any difficulty in obtaining a command over the changes of the voice here described after they have been once clearly explained and exhibited to them.

The subject of transition may be somewhat farther illustrated by example: and as it is one of considerable practical moment, we subjoin the following extract for the purpose of further explanation.

1. At midnight, in his guarded tent,

The Turk was dreaming of the hour,

When Greece, her knee in suppliance bent,
Should tremble at his power;

In dreams, thro' camp and court, he bore

The trophies of a conqueror;

In dreams his song of triumph heard;

*The happy transitions, among other marked improvements in the delivery, could not fail to strike those who attended the last commencement of Yale College.