soldier-like air and manner of Standish; the devout Brewster; the enterprising Allerton; the general firmness and thoughtfulness of the whole band; their conscious joy for dangers escaped; their deep solicitude about dangers to come; their trust in Heaven; their high religious faith, full of confidence and anticipation; all of these seem to belong to this place, and to be present upon this occasion, to fill us with reverence and admiration. DANIEL WEBSTER. Reread, applying your knowledge regarding Series: Chap. III, Nos. 5, 6, 14, 18, 26. SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS FOR WRitten Review 1. What is a series? Quote an example of a series of words; of phrases; of clauses; of short sentences. 2. Quote an example of an introductory series; a concluding series; an inserted series. 3. (No. 12.) Explain the difference, from the reading standpoint, between stanzas 1 and 2. 4. (No. 30.) Paraphrase could awe a senate; charm a college; delude a jury; magnetize a senate. 5. (No. 31.) Quote the series. 6. (No. 32.) (a) What does the comma and dash (sentence 3) say? (b) Define denominated, livelier iris. 7. (No. 33.) Does the poet use any method of grouping the ideas in the parts of the series in lines 9-21 ? 8. (No. 38.) TI. Sentence I. Quote the series within the series. 9. (No. 38.) ¶I. Sentence 2. We are not altogether unworthy of our origin in how many and what things? 10. (No. 38.) 2. Sentence II. How many and what things "seem to belong to this place"? CHAPTER VI STUDIES IN CONTRAST The placing of thoughts of opposite or contrasting meaning in juxtaposition is one of the methods employed by writers for the enhancing of effects. In its most striking form, there is close resemblance between the opposed thoughts in both language and construction (see No. 23), but many degrees of variation are to be found. Studies in contrast are, therefore, studies of two balanced ideas each of which gains prominence by the presence of the other. A groat (No. 1) is very small beside a thousand pounds, and the thousand pounds is very large beside the groat. Each gains through the presence of the other. The presence of both must therefore be kept in mind. Hence the instruction becomes, Get Both Thoughts; Hold Both Thoughts; and Strive to Express the Fullness of Both Thoughts in their relation to each other. The opposition or contrast may be found in a single sentence, or it may form the subject material of many sentences or paragraphs. It may require the balancing of only two words (3); it may balance several sets of words (16); it may find expression in parts of words (19); or it may lie between phrases, clauses, sentences, groups of sentences, or paragraphs. Authors recognize in it the most effective method for stating comparisons. TURNER, TEACH. TO READ - IO 137 (14); it is used widely in drawing parallels between persons, characters, or objects that resemble each other in reality or appearance (34); and much of the wit of our literature finds expression after this manner. Hence the advisability of giving it separate and special attention. PEDAGOGICAL INTRODUCTION Contrasted thoughts resting upon balanced words oftentimes find most effective expression through contrasted inflections. Nothing is gained by withholding this definite information from the pupil, and much may be gained by a knowledge of it. The value of contrasted inflections will be readily appreciated in the following, particularly if the first illustration be read without them, as indicated, and the second, with them. As unto the bow the cord is, So unto the man is woman; Though she bends him, she obeys him, As unto the bow the cord is, So unto the man is woman; Though she bends him, she obeys him, Contrasting thoughts do not, however, always express themselves through first the rising and then the falling inflections. If the first thought is an affirmative statement and the second a negative statement, the opposite will be the result; as in the following: I said an élder soldier, not a bétter. When reading contrasted descriptions of nature, people, places, emotions, scenery, etc.,— particularly when they are long and the contrast is not dependent upon the balancing of single words, but distributed through phrases, sentences, or paragraphs, — it is helpful to know and to remember that bright, cheerful, happy thoughts bend the voice upward, while sadness and gloom weigh it downward. This will readily be appreciated in the picturing of the meeting with the old mother, in Riley's "Afterwhiles": How we'll greet the dear old smile, A rising wave on smile will help us to paint a tender gladness that a falling one would kill; while a predominating downward movement on warm tears can blend with that idea a loving tone color entirely lacking when the simple rising inflections are used. Try it and see. However, to know this avails us little if we are unable to execute it, and a noticeable number of untrained pupils are unable to do so. Some are unable even to imitate the inflections given by the teacher. Indeed, I have found many teachers unable to give contrasting inflections without considerable practice; and an occasional person who, through defective hearing, could not learn to do so with any degree of reliability. Some of the simple exercises tending toward voice control will, in general, prove noticeably beneficial.* To read as we talk is a rule of small value when studying subjects like this. Speech melody is too largely influenced by nationality, association, disposition, and habits. Even the American child from the so-called "good home" often comes to us full of quick, nervous, jerky, rising inflections; slow, heavy drawls; or affected slides, that are the result of a fancied imitation. To tell the pupils to read as they talk, and then give them material to read, the construction of which is widely different from the construction of their conversation, is to leave an unbridged space between the known and the unknown. This subject will be dealt with more fully under Studies in Continuous Thinking, but it deserves mention here because a large part of our contrastive material is the product of careful arrangement by literary artists, and vastly different from the conversation of boys and girls, both as to quality and structure. It deals as a rule with finished periods, and the parts are often long and involved. Careful analysis of the thought is the only method that will lead to complete understanding and intelligent interpretation. *Pronounce the syllable do with a simple rising inflection; with a falling inflection; with the circumflex ~. Pronounce the vowels with simple rising inflections. With falling inflections. With the circumflex. Pronounce each vowel with first the rising and then the falling inflection and then the circumflex. Concert work should not include so many pupils that individual voices and individual needs cannot be detected. |