INFLECTION.

INFLECTION is the bending or sliding of the voice either upward or downward. There are two inflections; the one called the Upward, or rising Inflection; the other the Downward, or Falling Inflection. As connected with pauses, there is one inflection which denotes that the sense or meaning is suspended, and another which denotes that the sense is completed. "To be carnally minded'—is -death."

In elementary Elocutionary training it is essential that the ear should be practised on the different sounds of Inflections, and the voice should be trained to inflect with ease and facility; the following compilation of Tables will be found essential for these purposes. Let the following list of numbers be pronounced slowly, distinctly, and loud; marking each inflection with precision.

The acute accent (') denotes the rising Inflection.
The grave accent (`) denotes the falling Inflection.

TABLE OF INFLECTIONS.

One', two, three', four', five', six', seven', eight', nine', ten', eleven", twelve'.

N. B.-Note that the number preceding the last is marked with a double rising inflection, to indicate that it precedes the final close of the list. The application of this Rule to sentences, and groups in sentences, will be noticed under the proper heads.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve.

EXAMPLES OF THE RISING AND FALLING INFLECTIONS CONTRASTED.

The Rising, followed by the Falling Inflection.
Does he talk rationally', or irrationally?
Does he pronounce correctly', or incorrectly?
Does he mean honestly', or dishonestly?
Does she dance gracefully', or ungracefully"?
Do they act cautiously', or incautiously?

The Falling, followed by the Rising.
He talked rationally`, not irrationally'.
He pronounces correctly`, not incorrectly'.
He means honestly', not dishonestly'.
She dances gracefully, not ungracefully'.

They acted cautiously`, not incautiously'.

To enable the Pupil to slide without angularity or abruptness, a practice on the following exercise, from numbers one to ten, may be used:

or

Did he say

One

Two?

EXERCISES ON THE INFLECTIONS.

Blessed' are the poor in spirit'.

Blessed' are the peace-makers`.

Blessed' are the meek'.

Let your light so shine before men', that they may see your good works', and glorify your Father" which is in heaven'.

And now abideth faith', hope", charity'; these three: b:t the greatest of these'—is—charity`.

When all thy mercies', O my God',

My rising soul surveys'

Transported with the view', I'm lost

In wonder', love", and praise.

Correct articulation', is the most important exercise of the voice', and of the organs of speech.

The sorrow for the dead', is the only sorrow' from which we refuse to be divorced'.

Age', that lessens the enjoyment of life', increases our desire of living'.

Christianity' bears all the marks of a divine original. It came down from heaven', and its purpose is to carry us up thither`.

Year' steals upon us' after year. Life' is never still for a moment', but continually', though insensibly', sliding into a new form`. Infancy' rises up fast to childhood-childhood' to youth-youth passes quickly into manhood', and the gray hair' and the fading look', are not long in admonishing us", that old age is near at hand`.

True gentleness teaches us to bear one another's burdens; to

rejoice with those who rejoice; to weep with those who weep; to / please every one his neighbor for his good; to be kind and tender

hearted; to be pitiful and courteous; to support the weak, and to be

patient toward all men.

When the Pupil has learned to inflect with ease, the following specific rules should be committed to memory, and the Examples affixed to the rules may be practised, until the application of the rules is thoroughly understood:

GENERAL ESSENTIAL RULES ON INFLECTION.

Interrogation.

When a question commences with a verb, it terminates with the rising inflection.

When a question commences with an interrogative adverb or pronoun, it terminates with a falling inflection.

Shall dust and ashes stand in the presence of that uncreated glory', before which principalities and powers bow down, tremble and adore'? Shall guilty and condemned creatures appear in the presence of Him, in whose sight the heavens are not clean, and who chargeth his angels with folly'?

Interrogations Governed by Relative Pronouns.

Who will come?

Which of them will come?

What will he do?

When will he come?

Where will he go?

How can he exalt his thoughts to any thing great' and noble', who only believes that after a short turn on the stage of this world', he is to sink into oblivion", and to lose his consciousness forever?

If I'm design'd yon lordling's slave',

By nature's law design'd',

Why was an independent wish'

E'er planted in my mind`?

If not, why am I subject to

His cruelty, or scorn`?

Or, why hath man the will', and power"!

To make his fellows mourn`?

Who can look down upon the grave', even of an enemy', and not feel a compunctious throb', that he should ever have warred with the poor handful of earth", that lies mouldering before him`?

Who can hold a fire in his hand',
By thinking on the frosty Caucasus`?
Or, wallow naked in December's snow',

By mere remembrance of the summer's heat`?

EXCEPTIONS.

Emphasis breaks through this rule.

Note. See rule under the division of Emphasis.

When a series of questions is long and terminates a paragraph, the last number may take the falling inflection, as—

Was the hope drunk

Wherein you dress'd yourself'? Hath it slept since'?
And wakes it now, to look so green and pale,

At what it did so freely'?

Such I account thy love.

From this time,

Art thou afear'd

To be the same in thine own act' and valor',

As thou art in desire"? Would'st thou have that'
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life',
And live a coward in thine own esteem",
Letting I dare not' wait upon I would',
Like the poor cat i' the adage`?

When two or more questions in succession, the first beginning with a verb, are separated by the disjunctive particle or, the last question requires the falling, and the preceding ones the rising inflection:

Can honor's voice provoke the silent dust?

Or flattery soothe the dull cold ear of death?

Do the perfections of the Almighty lie dormant, or are they not rather in continual exercise?

EXOLAMATIONS of joy and surprise take the rising; .fear, anger, scorn, grief, and awe, the falling inflection.

NEGATION is governed by the rising inflection, except wheu emphatic.

AFFIRMATION invariably by the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.

Affirmation.

That is my book.