MONOTONE.

RULE XIII.-The use of the monotone is confined chiefly to grave and solemn subjects. When carefully and properly employed, it gives great dignity to delivery.

EXAMPLES.

1. The unbeliever! one who can gaze upon the sun, and moon, and stars, and upon the unfading and imperishable sky, spread out so magnificently above him, and say, "All this is the work of chance!"

2. God walketh upon the ocean. Brilliantly
The glassy waters mirror back his smiles;
The surging billows, and the gamboling storms
Come crouching to his feet.

3. I hail thee, as in gorgeous robes,

Blooming thou leav'st the chambers of the east,
Crowned with a gemmed tiara thick embossed
With studs of living light.

4. High on a throne of royal state, which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,
Or where the gorgeous east, with richest hand,
Showers on her kings barbaric pearls and gold,
Satan exalted sat.

5. His broad expanded wings

Lay calm and motionless upon the air,
As if he floated there without their aid,
By the sole act of his unlorded will.

6. In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds

On half the nations, and with fear of change
Perplexes monarchs.

III. ACCENT AND EMPHASIS.

ACCENT.

That syllable in a word which is uttered more forcibly than the others, is said to be accented, and is marked thus, ('); as the italicized syllables in the following words:

Common usage alone determines upon what syllable the accent should be placed, and to the lexicographer it belongs, to ascertain and record its decision on this point.

In some few cases, we can trace the reasons for common usage in this respect. In words which are used as different parts of speech, or which have different meanings, the distinction is sometimes denoted by changing the accent.

There is another case, in which we discover the reason for changing the accent, and that is, when it is required by emphasis, as in the following:

EXAMPLES.

1. His ability or inability to perform the act materially varies the case.

2. This corruption must put on in corruption.

SECONDARY ACCENT.

In words of more than two syllables, there is often a second accent given, but more slight than the principal one, and this is called the secondary accent; as, em'igrate", rep"artee', where the principal accent is marked ('), and the secondary, ("); so, also, this accent is obvious, in navigation, com"prehen'sion, plau'sibility, etc. The whole subject, however, properly belongs to dictionaries and spelling-books.

EMPHASIS.

Emphasis consists in uttering a word or phrase in such a manner as to give it force and energy, and to draw the attention of the hearer particularly to the idea expressed.

This is most frequently accomplished by an increased stress of voice laid upon the word or phrase. Sometimes, though more rarely, the same object is effected by an unusual lowering of the voice, even to a whisper, and not unfrequently by a pause before the emphatic word.

The inflections are often made subsidiary to this object. To give emphasis to a word, the inflection is changed or increased in force or extent. When the rising inflection is ordinarily used, the word, when emphatic, frequently takes the falling inflection; and sometimes, also, the falling inflection is changed into the rising inflection, for the same purpose.

Emphatic words are often denoted by being written in italics, in SMALL CAPITALS, or in CAPITALS.

Much care is necessary to train the pupil to give clear and expressive emphasis, and at the same time to avoid an unpleasant "jerky" movement of the voice.

ABSOLUTE EMPHASIS.

Where the emphasis is independent of any contrast or comparison with other words or ideas, it is called absolute emphasis.

EXAMPLES.

1. We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

2. Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean-roll!

3. Arm, warriors, arm!

4. You know that you are Brutus, that speak this, Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

5. Hamlet. Saw, who?

Horatio. The king, your father.

Hamlet. The king, my father?

6. Strike-till the last armed foe expires;
Strike-for your altars and your fires;
Strike-for the green graves of your sires;
God, and your native land!

RELATIVE EMPHASIS.

Where there is antithesis, either expressed or implied, the emphasis is called relative.

EXAMPLES.

1. We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 2. But I am describing your condition, rather than my own. 3. I fear not death, and shall I then fear thee?

4. Hunting men, and not beasts, shall be his game.

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

6. It may moderate and restrain, but it was not designed to banish gladness from the heart of man.

In the following examples, there are two sets of antitheses. in the same sentence.

7. To err is human, to forgive, divine.

8. John was punished; William, rewarded.

9. Without were fightings, within were fears.

10. Business sweetens pleasure, as labor sweetens rest.

11. Justice appropriates rewards to merit, and punishments to crime.

12. On the one side, all was alacrity and courage; on the other, all was timidity and indecision.

13. The wise man is happy when he gains his own approbation; the fool, when he gains the applause of others.

14. His care was to polish the country by urt, as he had protected it by arms.

In the following examples, the relative emphasis is applied to three sets of antithetic words.

15. The difference between a madman and a fool is, that the former reasons justly from false data; and the latter, erroneously from just data.

16. He raised a mortal to the skies,

She drew an angel down.

Sometimes the antithesis is implied, as in the following instances.

17. The spirit of the white man's heaven,

Forbids not thee to weep.

18. I shall enter on no encomiums upon Massachusetts.