Plain declarative sentences generally take one form or other of the cadence, in order to mark the satisfactory close of the period ; rind downward concretes are also frequently introduced into what are called loose sentences, to denote that the sense is complete, and that the succeeding clause does not modify that which precedes it. Where, on the contrary, the sense is suspended, as it most commonly is in the middle of a sentence, the concretes must have an upward direction.
Fur conveying the peculiarities of sentiment or feeling, or, in other words, for the expression of speech, a much more varied Apparatus is necessary. This expression is effected by quality, time, pause, melody, pitch, the waves, the semitones, the tremor, force, and rhythm, all which are only so many forms of the four general divisions of vocal sound nbovo specified.
I. Most of the elements which range under the general head of Quality have already been enumerated. It moat, however, be remarked that they are susceptible of combination with the various modes and degrees of force, time, and pitch. In short, quality of voice must necessarily ho united with some of the degrees of the other genera ; for, whatever be the kind, it will be either strong or weak : its time must be long or short; and it must be of some definite radical or concrete pitch. Certain qualities of the voice are, however, exclu sively congenial with particular conditions of these other accidents ; thus smoothness will more generally affect the moderate degrees of force.
II. Time.—The degrees of duration of the voice represented by the terms long, short, and the rate by quick and slow, are among the most effective means of expression ; rage, mirth, raillery, and impatience affecting a quick time; and slowness of time being the symbol of sorrow, grief, respect, veneration. dignity, apathy, contrition, and all other sentiments which embrace the idea of deliberation. A slow time of discourse, if not made by long quantities on single syllables, would be offensive from its pauses ; these two forms of time therefore neces sarily involve each other. Slowness of time and long quantity are generally joined with the element of the wave, since the return, or contrary flexure of intervals, is one of the means for producing an extension of time without destroying the equable concrete of speech, or, in other words, without passing into song. The wave of a tone
will be perceived in the dignified and appropriate utterance of the syllables marked in italics in the following lines :— " Pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, Tbat I em meek and gentle with these butchers." " Hail, holy light, offspring of heaven, first-born, Or of the eternal, co-eternal beam, 3127 I express thee, If le blamed ? " III. The use of parse for the more conspicuous display of sense and sentiment, by separating certain words or aggregates of words from each other, is of great consequence in elocution, but cannot be gone into at length in this article. To these pauses the grammatical points are by no means a sufficient guide. [Pcseri:Lams.] IV. A comprehensive account of Melody would properlyrepresent it as produced by a variation in the time, pauses, force, and pitch of the voice, since the well-appointed uses and dispositions of these accidents make up the agreeable impression of speech ; but we use it here as relating solely to the successions of radical pitch. Under this head it may be remarked that a predominanue of the monotone is suited to feelings of dignity, grief, tenderness, solemnity, and serious admonition ; that the alternate phrase well describes the earnest excitement neces sarily produced by the rapid succession of incident ; and that a pro gression gradually rising and falling through the whole compass of the voice corresponds with a wide variation of force in the sentiment. For illustrations of these modes see Dr. Rush's ` Philosophy of the Voice,' pp. 112, 144.
V. Pitch.—Discrete pitch is illustrated by the word must in the following passage. As it is a as-liable which does not admit of pro longation, it is raised discretely a third above the preceding :— I must contend, said he, Best with the best, the sender, not the sent." We have an example of a concrete rising fifth on beau-, and of a discrete third on mos-, in the following :— If we suppose that the following words are spoken interrogatively, and that they express surprise, the concrete rising fifth must be given to the emphatic syllables : Give Brutus a statue with his ancestors? If, on the other hand, the line be read as a command, the direction of the concretes will be downwards.