more calm and uniform; the eye loses its lustrous keenness of expression. 117. Suppressed or Subdued Force. When one is in a serious, grave, dignified, self-determined mood, his utterances, however forcible, and because they must be, in these cases, on a low key,—will be more or less suppressed, rather than sustained. We have these different forms: 118. Explosive Form (interchanging with expulsive). This is loud abrupt force, on a low key, with initial, terminal or compound stress, and often passes from orotund into aspirate, guttural or pectoral quality. It gives expression to moods greatly excited by serious and grave considerations, in which the tendency to expression is forcibly suppressed, as in amazement, impatience, indignation, revenge, fear, horror, despair. 1. Ye gôds! ye gods! must I endure all this? 2. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgrâced me, and hindered me of half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated my enemies. And what's his reason? 3. How ill this tàper burns! Hà, who comes hère? I think it is the weakness of mine èyes That shapes this monstrous apparition. It comes upon me-Art thou anything? Art thou some gód, some ángel, or some dèvil, 4. [While throng the citizens with térror dúmb, (See, also, §§ 128, 129, and examples there referred to; also, § 145: a.) 119. Expulsive Form (interchanging with effusive). This is not very loud smooth force, with predominating terminal or median stress, on a medium or low key, with pure or orotund quality. It is for moods not carried away by a subject, but rather suppressed and subdued by the gravity and dignity of it. 1. Where Christ brings his cross he brings his prèsence, and where he is none are dèsolate, and there is no room for despair. At the darkest you have félt a hand through the dárk, clóser perhaps and ténderer than any touch dreamt of at noon. As he knows his own, so he knows how to comfort them,-using sometimes the very grief itself, and straining it to the sweetness of a faith unattainable to those ignorant of any grief. But 2. There was no tráce by which the name of the ship could be ascertained. The wreck had evidently drifted about for many months; clusters of shell-fish had fastened about it, and lóng seà-weeds flaunted at its sides. where, thought I, is the crew? Their struggle has long been over; they have gone down amidst the róar of the tempest; their bónes lie whitening in the caverns of the deep. Silence,-oblivion,-like the waves, have closed over them; and no one can tell the story of their end. (See, also, § 220.) 120. Effusive Form (interchanging with expulsive). This is soft smooth force, with. predominating median stress, on a medium or low key, with pure, sometimes orotund, quality. It gives expression to sentiments of beauty, tenderness, love, etc., when the moods are the opposite of lively or uncontrolled in the sense that the feeling or tendency to express them is gently subdued or suppressed, as in submissive supplication, contrition, commiseration, or the presence of sorrow, slumber, sickness, death. 1. O, my lord, Must I, then, léave you? must I needs foregó With what a sorrow Cromwell leaves his lord. 2. Thou túrnest man to destrúction; and sáyest, "Retùrn, ye children of men." For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is pàst, and as a watch in the night. 3. She sleeps: her breathings are not heard The fragrant tresses are not stirred That lie upon her charmed heart. She sleeps: on either hand upswells The gold-fringed pillow, lightly prèst: 4. Beautiful Evelyn Hope is dead! Sit and watch by her side an hour. She plucked that piece of geranium flower (See, also, §§ 226, 228.) VOLUME. 121. This is determined by the relative amount of breath, energy and resonance that the voice derives fron the way in which the various organs of the lungs, throat and mouth are used in forming it. a. There are all possible degrees of volume. No separate term is in use to apply to a slight change in it; but if the change is great it necessitates a difference not only in degree but in kind, in what is termed Quality. Pure quality, for instance, may be uttered with a certain degree of full volume and still remain pure; but if an attempt be made to change it still further in the same direction it becomes orotund. The principle regulating slight changes in volume, such as are usually, though not exclusively, made when emphasizing individual words or phrases, rather than whole passages,- the changes in the latter almost always necessitating changes also in quality,-is as follows: b. Volume, which, as we have found (§ 32), is representative of the feelings, is thin or fine in utterances that are anticipative, indecisive, subordinate, insignificant, negative, etc., when these are expressive of moods that are light, gay, lively or uncontrolled; and it is full in utterances that are final, decisive, self-important, self-interesting, affirmative, positive, etc., when these are expressive of moods that are serious, grave, dignified or self-determined. For illustration see § 140: e. Lo! the death-shot of foemen out-speeding he rode Anything further on this subject will be sufficiently unfolded while considering QUALITY. 122. By this is meant the kind of voice or tone that one uses; and this, as has been said, depends on the elements that enter into it and constitute its volume (§ 121). The following qualities need to be understood: the Aspirate, Guttural and Pectoral, which, as they are used mainly to modify and supplement other tones, it is convenient to consider first; the Pure and Orotund, which are the most ordinary and important qualities; and the Nasal and Oral, which need to be mentioned mainly that they may be avoided. Recalling (§ 32) that the different qualities of voice represent different kinds of emotions, we turn first to the 123. Aspirate. This is the thinnest quality,—a tone almost flooded with breath. Wherever heard, it suggests that behind the tone there is an excess of motion, or emotion, that is constantly straining through and preventing complete vocalization. In other words, it indicates intensity of feeling. Besides this, in the degree in which its quality approaches that of the ordinary whisper, it suggests surprise, caution, apprehension or alarm, in view of external circumstances. a. The Effusive Whisper or Aspirate indicates a gentle degree of intensity subdued, as in the presence of something to cause caution or awe; e. g. Leave me thy footstep with its lightest sound, The very shadow of thy waving hàir, Wakes in my soul a feeling too profound, Too strong for aught that lives and dies to bear: Gentle knave, good night! I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee. b. The Expulsive Whisper or Aspirate indicates a great degree of intensity or earnestness, as in the presence of something to cause apprehension; e. g. 1. All's hushed as midnight, yet! No noise! and enter. 2. One disorderly noise or motion may leave us at the mercy of their advanced guàrd. Let every man keep the strictest silence, under pain of instant death! c. The Explosive. Whisper or Aspirate indicates the greatest degree of intensity, or vehement earnestness, as in the presence of something to alarm; e.g. They are on We must retreat I see the head of height. Our only Keep close to it; be 1. Hark! I hear the bugles of the enemy! their march along the bank of the river. instantly, or be cut off from our boats. their column already rising over the safety is in the screen of this hèdge. silent; and stoop as you run. For the boats! Forward! 2. Lady M. My hands are of your color; but I shame To wear a heart so white.-(Knock.) knocking I hear a At the south entry:- retire we to our chàmber: A little water clears us of this deed: How easy is it then? Your constancy Hath left you unattènded.— (Knocking.) Hàrk, mòre knocking. 124. The Aspirate may be used with any tone or quality of the voice, and, when thus used, intensifies the feeling that the tone expresses. In the degree in which the aspiration is decided and forcible, it conveys the impression of apprehension or alarm. a. When used habitually, however, it is a fault, and needs to be corrected by learning how to draw and hold more air in the lungs, and to use economy in vocalizing it. (See §§ 8-10.) |