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An Introcuction to the Art of Reading With Energy and Propriety
An Introcuction to the Art of Reading With Energy and Propriety Author:John Rice General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1765 Original Publisher: J. and R. Tonson Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you ca... more »n select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: Sect. XII. On the Mtcbanifm and Harmony of Englijh Verfe. Will it be faid, " that, however in-, ' fufficient the Modes of Tone and Time ' are to explain the Energy and Harmony ' of Englifh Numbers, their Combina- " tion muft yet neceffarily break in upon ' the Propriety of reciting Poetry, if poet- ' ical Paufe and Cadence are to be in any ' Degree obferved, in Reading." It is very true, it would fo, in the Recital of moft Poetry, efpecially if the Modulation of the Voice were regulated by the common Rules of Paufe and Cadence. But theDiftinclion already made, between that Poetry which is to be Jung, and that which is to be faid, will affift us in fetting this Matter in a true Light. To this End, I mall begin with mew- ing the Difference between that natural Modulation of Voice which is common to Speech, and that arbitrary and mechanical Modulation which is peculiar to Poetry. It has been obferved, in the fecond Section, that a Number of Syllables pro- ' nouncednounced fucccefiively in one uniform and unvaried Manner (that is, equally loud and long) would appear only as fo many furd and unmeaning Sounds -, and that therefore the Voice naturally falls into a Kind of Modulation in Speaking. This was exemplified in the following Words. Be, ivbat, you, will, fo, you, It, fill, the, fame. TheReafon, however, why thefe Words fo pronounced would be in a Manner unintelligible, is, that they would thus be deprived of the moil effential Part of oral Expreffion, which confifls in laying the Strefs or Emphafis of Voice on Words or Syllables, in Proportion as they are fig-...« less