Chapter III: Inflections

Inflections are slides of the voice upward or downward. Of these, there are two: the rising inflection and the falling inflection.

The Rising Inflection is that in which the voice slides upward, and is marked thus (′); as,

Did you walk'? Did you walk.

The Falling Inflection is that in which the voice slides downward, and is marked thus (‘); as,

I did not walk'. I did not walk.

Both inflections are exhibited in the following question:

Did you walk' or ride'? walk or ride.

In the following examples, the first member has the rising and the second member the falling inflection:

EXAMPLES.[1]

Is he sick', or is he well'?
Did you say valor', or value'?
Did you say statute', or statue'?
Did he act properly', or improperly'?

[Footnote 1: These questions and similar ones, with their answers, should be repeatedly pronounced with their proper inflection, until the distinction between the rising and falling inflection is well understood and easily made by the learner. He will be assisted in this by emphasizing strongly the word which receives the inflection, thus. Did you RIDE' or did you WALK'?]

In the following examples, the inflections are used in a contrary order, the first member terminating with the falling and the second with the rising inflection:

EXAMPLES.

He is well', not sick'.
I said value', not valor'.
I said statue', not statute'.
He acted properly', not improperly'.

FALLING INFLECTIONS.

Rule VI.--The falling inflection is generally proper wherever the sense is complete.

EXAMPLES.

Truth is more wonderful than fiction'.
Men generally die as they live'.
By industry we obtain wealth'.

REMARK.--Parts of a sentence often make complete sense in themselves, and in this case, unless qualified or restrained by the succeeding clause, or unless the contrary is indicated by some other principle, the falling inflection takes place according to the rule.

EXAMPLES

Truth is wonderful', even more so than fiction'.

Men generally die as they live' and by their actions we must judge of
their character'.

Exception.--When a sentence concludes with a negative clause, or with a contrast or comparison (called also antithesis), the first member of which requires the falling inflection, it must close with the rising inflection. (See Rule XI, and paragraph 2, Note.)

EXAMPLES.

No one desires to be thought a fool'.

I come to bury' Caesar, not to praise' him.

He lives in England' not in France'.

REMARK.--In bearing testimony to the general character of a man we say:

He is too honorable' to be guilty of a vile' act.

But if he is accused of some act of baseness, a contrast is at once instituted between his character and the specified act, and we change the inflections, and say:

He is too honorable' to be guilty of such' an act.

A man may say in general terms:

I am too busy' for projects'.

But if he is urged to embark in some particular enterprise, he will change the inflections, and say:

I am too busy' for projects'.

In such cases, as the falling inflection is required in the former part by the principle of contrast and emphasis (as will hereafter be more fully explained), the sentence necessarily closes with the rising inflection. Sometimes, also, emphasis alone seems to require the rising inflection on the concluding word. See exception to Rule VII.

(5.-2.)

STRONG EMPHASIS.

RULE VII.--Language which demands strong emphasis generally requires the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES. 1. Command or urgent entreaty; as,

Begone',
Run' to your houses, fall' upon your knees,
Pray' to the Gods to intermit the plagues.

0, save' me, Hubert' save' me I My eyes are out
Even with the fierce looks of these bloody men.

2. Exclamation, especially when indicating strong emotion; as,

0, ye Gods'! ye Gods'! must I endure all this?

Hark'! Hark'! the horrid sound
Hath raised up his head.

For interrogatory exclamation, see Rule X, Remark.

SERIES OF WORDS OR MEMBERS.

3. A series of words or members, whether in the beginning or middle of a sentence, if it does not conclude the sentence, is called a commencing series, and usually requires the rising inflection when not emphatic.

EXAMPLES OF COMMENCING SERIES.

Wine', beauty', music', pomp', are poor expedients to heave off the load
of an hour from the heir of eternity'.

I conjure you by that which you profess,
(Howe'er you came to know it,) answer me;
Though you untie the winds and let them fight
Against the churches'; though the yeasty waves
Confound and swallow navigation' up;
Though bladed corn be lodged, and trees blown down';
Though castles topple on their warders' heads';
Though palaces and pyramids do slope
Their heads to their foundations'; though the treasures
Of nature's germens tumble altogether',
Even till destruction sicken'; answer me
To what I ask' you.

4. A series of words or members which concludes a sentence is called a concluding series, and each member usually has the falling inflection.

EXAMPLE OF CONCLUDING SERIES.

They, through faith, subdued kingdoms', wrought righteousness' obtained promises', stopped the mouths of lions', quenched the violence of fire', escaped the edge of the sword', out of weakness were made strong', waxed valiant in fight', turned to flight the armies of the aliens'.

REMARK.--When the emphasis on these words or members is not marked, they take the rising inflection, according to Rule IX.

EXAMPLES.

They are the offspring of restlessness', vanity', and idleness'.
Love', hope', and joy' took possession of his breast.

5. When words which naturally take the rising inflection become emphatic by repetition or any other cause, they often take the falling inflection.

Exception to the Rule.--While the tendency of emphasis is decidedly to the use of the falling inflection, sometimes a word to which the falling inflection naturally belongs changes this, when it is emphatic, for the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.

Three thousand ducats': 't is a good round sum'.
It is useless to point out the beauties of nature to one who is blind'.

Here sum and blind, according to Rule VI, would take the falling inflection, but as they are emphatic, and the object of emphasis is to draw attention to the word emphasized, this is here accomplished in part by giving an unusual inflection. Some speakers would give these words the circumflex, but it would he the rising circumflex, so that the sound would still terminate with the rising inflection.

RULE VIII.--Questions which can not be answered by yes or no, together with their answers, generally require the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.

Where has he gone'? Ans. To New York'. What has he done'? Ans. Nothing'. Who did this'? Ans. I know not'. When did he go'? Ans. Yesterday'.

REMARK.--It these questions are repeated, the inflection is changed according to the principle stated under the Exception to Rule VII.

RISING INFLECTION.

RULE IX.--Where a pause is rendered proper by the meaning, and the sense is incomplete, the rising inflection is generally required.

EXAMPLES.

To endure slander and abuse with meekness' requires no ordinary degree of self-command',

Night coming on', both armies retired from the field of battle'.

As a dog returneth to his vomit', so a fool returneth to his folly'.

REMARK.--The person or object addressed, in ordinary conversation, comes under this head.

EXAMPLES.

Fathers'! we once again are met in council.

My lords'! and gentlemen'! we have arrived at an awful crisis.

Age'! thou art shamed.

Rome'! thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!

Exception.--Where a word which, according to this rule, requires the rising inflection, becomes emphatic, it generally has the falling inflec-tion; as, when a child addresses his father, he first says, Father'! but if he repeats it emphatically, he changes the inflection, and says, Father'! Father'! The falling inflection is also used in formal address; as, Fellow--citizens', Mr. President', etc.

EXAMPLES.

When we aim at a high standard, if we do not attain' it, we shall secure a high degree of excellence.

Those who mingle with the vicious, if they do not become depraved', will lose all delicacy of feeling.

RULE X.--Questions which may be answered by yes or no, generally require the rising, and their answers the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.

Has he arrived'? Yes'. Will he return'? No'. Does the law condemn him'? It does not'.

Exception.--If these questions are repeated emphatically, they take the falling inflection, according to Rule VII.

EXAMPLES.

Has he arrived'? Will he return'? Does the law condemn him'?

REMARK.--When a word or sentence is repeated as a kind of interrogatory exclamation, the rising inflection is used according to the principles of this rule.

EXAMPLES.

You ask, who would venture' in such a cause! Who would venture'? Rather say, who would not' venture all things for such an object!

He is called the friend' of virtue. The friend'! ay! the enthusiastic lover' the devoted protector' rather.

So, also, when one receives unexpected information he exclaims, Ah'! indeed'!

REMARK.--In the above examples the words "venture," "friend," "ah," etc., may be considered as interrogatory exclamations, because if the sense were carried out it would be in the form of question; as, "Do you ask who would venture'?" "Do you say that he is the friend' of virtue?" "Is it possible'?" and thus they would receive the rising inflection according to this rule.

RISING AND FALLING INFLECTIONS.

RULE XI.--The different members of a sentence expressing comparison, or contrast, or negation and affirmation, or where the parts are united by or used disjunctively, require different inflections; generally the rising inflection in the first member, and the falling inflection in the second member. This order is, however, sometimes inverted.

1. Comparison and contrast. This is also called antithesis.

EXAMPLES.

In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God; by honor', and dishonor'; by evil' report, and good' report; as deceivers', and yet true'; as unknown', and yet well' known; as dying', and behold we live'; as chastened', and not killed'; as sorrowful', yet always rejoicing'; as poor', yet making many rich'; as having nothing', yet possessing all' things.

Europe was one great battlefield, where the weak struggled for freedom', and the strong for dominion'. The king was without power', and the nobles without principle', They were tyrants at home', and robbers abroad'.

2. Negation and affirmation.

EXAMPLES.

He desired not to injure' his friend, but to protect' him.
We desire not your money', but yourselves'.
I did not say a better' soldier, but, an elder'.

If the affirmative clause comes first, the order of the inflections is inverted.

EXAMPLES.

He desired to protect' his friend, not to injure' him.
We desire yourselves', not your money'.
I said an elder' soldier, not a better'.

The affirmative clause is sometimes understood.

We desire not your money'.
I did not say a better' soldier.
The region beyond the grave is not a solitary' land.

In most negative sentences standing alone, the corresponding affirmative is understood; hence the following.

REMARK.--Negative sentences, whether alone or connected with an affirmative clause, generally end with the rising inflection.

If such sentences are repeated emphatically, they take the falling inflection according to Rule VI.

EXAMPLES.

We do not' desire your money.
I did not' say a. better soldier.

3. Or used disjunctively.

Did he behave properly', or improperly'?

Are they living/, or dead'?

Is he rich', or poor'?

Does God, having made his creatures, take no further' care of them, or
does he preserve and guide them'?

REMARK.--Where or is used conjunctively, this rule does not apply; as, Will the law of kindness' or of justice' justify such conduct'?

CIRCUMFLEX.

The circumflex is a union of the rising and falling inflections. Properly speaking, there are two of these, the one called the rising circumflex, in which the voice slides down and then up; and the other, the falling circumflex, in which the voice slides upward and then downward on the same vowel. They may both be denoted by the same mark, thus, (^). The circumflex is used chiefly to indicate the emphasis of irony, of contrast, or of hypothesis.

EXAMPLES.

1. Queen. Hamlet, you have your father much offended.
Hamlet. Madam, you have my father much offended.

2. They offer us their protec'tion. Yes', such protection as vultures give
to lambs, covering and devouring them.

3. I knew when seven justices could not make up a quarrel; but when the parties met themselves, one of them thought but of an if; as, If you said so, then I said so; O ho! did you say so! So they shook hands and were sworn brothers.

REMARKS.--In the first example, the emphasis is that of contrast. The queen had poisoned her husband, of which she incorrectly supposed her son ignorant, and she blames him for treating his father-in-law with disrespect. In his reply, Hamlet contrasts her deep crime with his own slight offense, and the circumflex upon "you" becomes proper.

In the second example the emphasis is ironical. The Spaniards pretended that they would protect the Peruvians if they would submit to them, whereas it was evident that they merely desired to plunder and destroy them. Thus their protection is ironically called "such protection as vultures give to lambs," etc.

In the third example, the word "so" is used hypothetically; that is, it implies a condition or supposition. It will be observed that the rising circumflex is used in the first "so," and the falling, in the second, because the first "so" must end with the rising inflection and the second with the falling inflection, according to previous rules.

MONOTONE.

When no word in a sentence receives an inflection, it is said to be read in a monotone; that is, in nearly the same tone throughout. This uniformity of tone is occa-sionally adopted, and is fitted to express solemnity or sublimity of idea, and sometimes intensity of feeling. It is used, also, when the whole sentence or phrase is emphatic. In books of elocution, when it is marked at all, it is generally marked thus (---), as in the lines following.

EXAMPLES.

Hence! loathed melancholy! Where brooding darkness spreads her jealous wings, And the night raven sings; There, under ebon shades and low-browed rocks, As ragged as thy locks, In deep Cimmerian darkness ever dwell.