The Canadian Elocutionist by Anna Kelsey Howard
page 85 of 532 (15%)
page 85 of 532 (15%)
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This | friend, that | brother,
Friends and brothers all. (7.) In order to arrest the attention: The cry was | peace, peace! EMPHASIS. Emphasis generally may be divided into two classes--Emphasis of sense and Emphasis of feeling. Emphasis relates to the mode of giving expression; properly defined it includes whatever modulation of the voice or expedient the speaker may use, to render what he says significant or expressive of the meaning he desires to convey, for we may, by this means, give very different meanings to our sentences, according to the application of emphasis. For instance, take the sentence--"Thou art a man." When delivered in a cool and deliberate manner, it is a very plain sentence, conveying no emotion, nor emphasis, nor interrogation. But when one of the words is emphasized, the sentence will be very different from what it was in the first instance; and very different, again, when another word is made emphatic; and so, again, whenever the emphasis is changed, the meaning is also changed: as, "THOU art a man." That is _thou_ in opposition to another, or because _thou_ hast proved thyself to be one. "Thou art a MAN." That is a _gentleman_. "Thou ART a man." That is, in opposition to "thou _hast been_ a man," or "thou _wilt be_ one." "Thou art A man." That is, in opposition to _the_ man, or a _particular_ man. Then, again, the sentence may be pronounced in a very _low_ tone of voice, and with force or without force. It may be raised uniting a good deal of stress, or without stress; and then, again, it may be heard with |
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