On the word know, in the following clause, not only does the voice descend concretely a third or a fifth, but the descent begins discretely a third above the preceding word :— We know what we warship, for salvation is of the Jews, As the diatonic melody is suited to plain narration and description, so will the emphasis be the more strongly marked in proportion to the wider extent of the intervals, whether of concrete or discrete pitch, which are employed. It may also be remarked in general, that the upward concretes denote interrogation, doubt, or what is concessive, conditional, hypothetical ; the downward concretes denote what is strong, certain, authoritative, as also, wonder, admiration, surprise, and exclamation, when not conjoined with an interrogative meaning.
VI. The wave is a very frequent element of expression, and performs high functions of speech. In its minor forms it is used to give length and emphasis to syllables and dignity to utterance : in its wider intervals it is admirably expressive of irony and derision. Thus the irony of the following passage can be brought out only by the indirect wave of a fifth in both places in which it occurs :— VII. The semitones.—These are used for the expression of complaint, pity, grief, plaintive supplication, and other sentiments congenial with these. The intonation by the concrete is universally the symbol of nature for animal distress. It affects generally a slow time and long quantity in utterance, and is therefore most commonly heard in the form of the wave. The interjective exclamations of pain, grief, love, and compassion, are prolongations of the tonic elements on this interval ; but it may be executed on the short time of immutable syllables, such as cup. The appropriate utterance of the following line will exhibit the wave of the semitone on the most important syllables, poor and old being distinguished by direct unequal waves of the same interval. It must be taken as an isolated line, and not in conjunction with the verse of which it forms part :— VIII. The fremor.—When the tremulous function is made through Viii. The fremor.—When the tremulous function is made through the second, third, fifth, or octave, or through the wave of these intervals, it joins the sentiment of derision, mirth, joy, or exultation, to that of interrogatimi, surprise, command, or scorn, conveyed by the smooth concrete of those intervals. In short, it is the introduction into speech of what is transferable in the function of laughter, and it adds thereto all the meaning and force of its satisfaction. Thus
" Thou art the rains of the noblest man, That ever lived in the tide of times." There is a sentiment of exultation and a superlativeness of com pliment in this eulogy, which cannot be properly expressed by the smooth movement of the concrete ; but if the first syllable of the emphatic word noblest be uttered with the tremulous intonation of the wave of the third or second, this will give the vocal consum mation to the feeling which suggests the exceeding measure of the praise.
The chuckle is an example of a somewhat similar application.
When the tremor is formed of a single tonic, in the semitone or its waves, it constitutes the function of crying ; and when employed in the syllabic intonation of the chromatic melody, it sets a more marked distinction on those emphatic words which express the sentiments of tenderness, grief, supplication, and other connatural states of feeling. This may be illustrated on the emphatic syllables of the line just quoted :—" Pity the sorrows," &c.
IX. The application of the different degrees of Force to the purposes of expression is almost too obvious to require illustration. Thus the distance of a person spoken to is pictured by loudness, and nearness by abatement of force • secrecy the voice against discovery, and doubt adopts the of an undertone. Certainty and anger assume force and strength. All sentiments which are unbecoming or disgraceful smother the voice into softer degrees, in the desire to conceal even the voluntary utterance of them. Joy is loud, and so are bodily pain, fear, and terror.
Such are some of the uses of force when applied to phrases, or to one or more sentences, in order to distinguish them from adjacent phrases or sentences in discourse. There are other applications of it, to single words, to syllables, and to certain parts of the concrete move ment, into which, though of some consequence, it is not within the purport of this article to enter. They will be found described in Dr. Rush's ' Philosophy of the Voice.' The common idea of Emphasis, it may be remarked, is that of mere force ; but it is more correctly defined to be the expressive but occasional distinction of a syllable, and consequently of the whole word, by one or more of the specific modes of time, quality, force, and pitch. Most of these have been illustrated under the above heads.