WAR AND PEACE. The brazen throat of war had ceased to roar, RUNNING WATERS. Fountains, and ye that warble as ye flow Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise! A GIANT. With sturdy steps came stalking on his sight MOANING OF THE WIND. THE UPROAR OF A VAST HOST. Arms on armor clashing bray'd Horrible discord, and the madding wheels Of brazen chariots rag'd; dire was the noise VOICES OF NATURE. Every sound is sweet, Myriads of rivulets hurrying through the lawn, The moan of doves in im-memorial elms, And murmur of innumerable bees. NOISES OF BATTLE. The shattering trumpet shrilleth high, They reel, they roll in clanging lists. NOISES OF A CITY STREET. With never an end to the stream of passing feetDriving, hurrying, marrying, burying, Clamor and rumble, and ringing, and clatter. NOISE OF A CATARACT. Rapid as the light, The flashing mass foams, shaking the abyss; DROWSY NOISES. Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight, Now air is hushed, save where the weak-eyed bat, SOUNDS OF A FLOWING BROOK. I chatter over stony ways I chatter, chatter, as I go To join the brimming river; For men may come and men may go, NOISE OF A WATERFALL. But oft by Kenmour's awful fall we stood, More solemn made by Kenmour's gloomy wood, Watching the water dash the spray around, As oe'r the rocks it fell, roaring headlong down, Tumbling the boiling surge, foaming below, Raising the bubbles with the sun-lit glow. Like thunder pealing from the clouds that lower, So strong the torrent and so loud its roar ; Or like an avalanche that totters to its fall With one tremendous crash, it rends its icy wall; Then thundering down a gaping chasm wide Hurls its flowing ice around on every side! THUNDER. The thunder, Winged with red lightning and impetuous rage, 'Tis listening fear, and dumb amazement all, CHAPTER XXVIII. VOICE AND PASSION TRANSITIONS. TRANSITION Occurs wherever there is a change in the sentiment, or to introduce a parenthetical clause or idea. The voice changes in pitch, stress, time, force, inflection, quality, etc., to express a change in the emotion or passion, and these changes are called transitions, but the method of making them properly is called modulation. The best tone if continued long will become tedious; hence the necessity for frequent changes. Such modifications of voice are also necessary to express corresponding changes in the sentiment. The transitions should be made gradually, unless sudden and abrupt changes are necessary to express corresponding transitions of passion. (Soft, with cadence): (Loud): Soft, as the slumber of a saint forgiven, And mild as opening beams of promised heaven! The combat deepens. On ye brave, Who rush to glory or the grave! Wave, Munich all thy banners wave, (Pure tone, effusive utterance): And while the shadowy veil of night Be-gem the concave wide, There is a spell, a power of harmonious love (Aspirate tone, with effusive utterance) : How beautiful this night! the balmiest sigh, That wraps this moveless scene. (Pectoral, with slow time and prevalence of monotone): In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up; it stood still, but I could not discern the form there-of, an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice saying, "Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?" (Loud and quick): Hark to that roar, whose swift and deafening peals In countless echoes through the mountains ring, (Louder): The falling beam, the shriek, the groan, the shout, (Very loud): Inebriate with rage; loud and more loud The discord grows, till pale death shuts the scene, (Lower and slower): And o'er the conqueror and the conquered draws (Deep aspirate); His cold and bloody shroud. |