Chapter IV: Section II: Accent and Emphasis

ACCENT and EMPHASIS both indicate some special stress of voice.

Accent is that stress of voice by which one _syllable_ of a word is made more prominent than others; EMPHASIS is that stress of voice by which one or more _words_ of a sentence are distinguished above the rest.

ACCENT.

The accented syllable is sometimes designated thus: ('); as, _com-mand'-ment_.

NOTE I.--Words of more than two syllables generally have two or more of them accented.

The more forcible stress of voice, is called the _Primary Accent_; and the less forcible, the _Secondary Accent_.

EXAMPLES OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ACCENT.

In the following examples the Primary Accent is designated by double accentual marks, thus:

_Ed''-u-cate'_, _ed'-u-ca''-tion_, _mul''-ti-ply'_, _mul'-ti-pli-ca''-tion_, _sat''-is-fy'_, _sat'-is-fac''-tion_, _com'-pre-hend''_, _com'-pre-hen''-sion_, _rec'-om-mend''_, _rec'-om-mend-a''-tion_, _mo''-ment-a'-ry_, _com-mun''-ni-cate'_, _com'-pli-ment''-al_, _in-dem'-ni-fi-ca''-tion_, _ex'-tem-po-ra''-ne-ous_, _coun'-ter-rev'-o-lu''-tion-a-ry_.

NOTE II.--The change of accent on the same word often changes its meaning.

EXAMPLES.

col'-league, _a partner_.
col-league', _to unite with_.
con'-duct, _behavior_.
con-duct', _to lead_.
des'-cant, _a song or tune_.
des-cant', _to comment_.
ob'-ject, _ultimate purpose_.
ob-ject', _to oppose_.
in'-ter-dict, _a prohibition_.
in-ter-dict', _to forbid_.
o'ver-throw, _ruin; defeat_.
o-ver-throw', _to throw down_.

NOTE III.--Emphatic words are often printed in _Italics_. When, however, different degrees of emphasis are to be denoted, the higher degrees are designated by the use of Capitals, LARGER or SMALLER, according to the degree of intensity.

EXAMPLES.

1. Our motto shall be, _our country_, OUR WHOLE COUNTRY, and NOTHING BUT OUR COUNTRY.

2. _Thou Child of Joy!_ SHOUT round me: let me HEAR _thy shouts, thou happy Shepherd Boy!_

3. Freedom calls you! _quick_, be ready,
Think of what your sires have done;
_Onward_, ONWARD! strong and steady,
Drive the tyrant to his den;
ON, and let the watchword be,
_Country_, HOME, and LIBERTY.

NOTE IV.--Emphasis, as before intimated, varies in degrees of intensity.

EXAMPLES OF INTENSIVE EMPHASIS.

1. He shook the fragment of his blade,
And shouted: "VICTORY!
_Charge_, Chester, CHARGE! _On_, Stanley, ON!"

2. A _month!_ O, for a single WEEK! I as not for _years'_, though an
AGE were _too little_ for the _much_ I have to do.

3. _Now_ for the FIGHT! _now_ for the CANNON PEAL! ONWARD! through
_blood_, and _toil_, and _cloud_, and _fire!_ _Glorious_--the SHOUT,
the SHOCK, the CRASH of STEEL, The VOLLEY'S ROLL, the ROCKET'S
BLAZING SPIRE!

4. Hear, O HEAVENS! and give ear, O EARTH!

NOTE V.--Emphasis sometimes changes the seat of accent from its ordinary position.

EXAMPLES.

There is a difference between _pos'_sibility and _prob'_ability. And behold, the angels of God _as'_cending and _de'_scending on it. For this corruptible must put on _in'_corruption, and this mortal must put on _im'_mortality. Does his conduct deserve _ap'_probation or _rep'_robation?

NOTE VI.--There are two kinds of Emphasis:--_Absolute_ and _Antithetic_. ABSOLUTE EMPHASIS is used to designate the important words of a sentence, without any direct reference to other words.

EXAMPLES OF ABSOLUTE EMPHASIS.

1. Oh, speak to passion's raging tide,
_Speak_ and _say_: "PEACE, BE STILL!"

2. The UNION, it MUST and SHALL BE PRESERVED!

3. HUSH! _breathe it not aloud_,
_The wild winds must not hear it! Yet, again_,
_I tell thee_--WE ARE FREE!
KNOWLES.

4. When my country shall take her place among the nations of the
earth, THEN and not TILL then, let my epitaph be written.
EMMETT.

5. If you are MEN, _follow_ ME! STRIKE DOWN _yon guard, and gain
the mountain passes._

6. OH! _shame on us_, countrymen, SHAME _on us_ ALL,
If we CRINGE to so dastard a race.

7. This doctrine _never was received_; it NEVER CAN, _by any_
POSSIBILITY, BE RECEIVED; and, if admitted at ALL, it _must be
by_ THE TOTAL SUBVERSION OF LIBERTY!

8. Are you _Christians_, and, by upholding duelists, will you _deluge
the land with blood_, and _fill it with widows and orphans._
BEECHER.

9. LIBERTY _and_ UNION, NOW _and_ FOREVER, ONE _and_ INSEPARABLE.
WEBSTER.

10. _Treason!_ cried the speaker; _treason_, TREASON, TREASON,
reechoed from every part of the house.

11. _The war is inevitable_,--and LET IT COME! I repeat it,
Sir,--LET IT COME!
PATRICK HENRY.

12. Be we _men_,
And suffer such dishonor? MEN, and wash not
The stain away in BLOOD?
MISS MITFORD.

13. O SACRED FORMS! how _proud_ you look!
How _high_ you lift your heads into the sky!
How _huge_ you are! how _mighty_ and how _free_!
KNOWLES.

14. I shall know but _one_ country. The ends _I_ aim at, shall be "My
COUNTRY'S, my GOD'S, and TRUTH'S."
WEBSTER.

NOTE VII.--ANTITHETIC EMPHASIS is that which is founded on the contrast of one word or clause with another.

EXAMPLES OF ANTITHETIC EMPHASIS.

1. The faults of _others_ should always remind us of our _own_.

2. He desired to _protect_ his friend, not to _injure_ him.

3. But _yesterday_, the word of Caesar might
Have stood against the world; _now_ lies he there,
And none so poor to do him reverence.
SHAKESPEARE.

4. A _good name_ is rather to be chosen than _great riches_.
BIBLE.

5. We can do nothing _against_ the truth; but _for_ the truth.
BIBLE.

6. He that is _slow to anger_, is better than the _mighty_; and he
that _ruleth his spirit_, than he that _taketh a city_.
BIBLE.

NOTE VIII.--The following examples contain two or more sets of Antitheses.

1. _Just men_ are only _free_, the _rest_ are _slaves_.

2. _Beauty_ is like the _flower of spring; virtue_ is like the
_stars of heaven_.

3. _Truth_ crushed to earth shall _rise_ again,
The eternal years of God are hers;
But _error_, wounded, _writhes_ in pain,
And _dies_ amid her worshipers.
BRYANT.

4. A _false balance_ is _abomination to the Lord_; but a _just
weight_ is _his delight_.
BIBLE.

5. A _friend_ can not be _known_ in _prosperity;_ and an _enemy_
can not be _hidden_ in _adversity_.

6. It is my _living sentiment_, and, by the blessing of God, it
shall be my _dying sentiment:_ INDEPENDENCE NOW, and INDEPENDENCE
FOREVER.
WEBSTER.

7. We live in _deeds_, not _years_,--in _thoughts_, not _breaths_,--in
_feelings_, not in _figures on a dial_. We should count time by
_heart throbs_. He _most lives_, who THINKS THE MOST,--FEELS THE
NOBLEST,--ACTS THE BEST.

8. _You_ have done the _mischief_, and _I_ bear the _blame_.

9. The _wise man_ is happy when he gains his _own_ approbation;
the _fool_ when he gains that of _others_.

10. We must hold _them_ as we hold the _rest_ of mankind--_enemies_
in _war_,--in _peace, friends_.
JEFFERSON.

NOTE IX.--The sense of a passage is varied by changing the place of the emphasis.

EXAMPLES.

1. Has _James_ seen his brother to-day? No; but _Charles_ has.

2. Has James _seen_ his brother to-day? No; but he has _heard_
from him.

3. Has James seen _his_ brother to-day? No; but he saw _yours_.

4. Has James seen his _brother_ to-day? No; but he has seen his
_sister_.

5. Has James seen his brother _to-day_? No; but he saw him
_yesterday_.

REMARK.--To determine the emphatic words of a sentence, as well as the _degree_ and _kind_ of emphasis to be employed, the reader must be governed wholly by the _sentiment_ to be expressed. The idea is sometimes entertained that emphasis consists merely in _loudness_ of tone. But it should be borne in mind that the most _intense_ emphasis may often be effectively expressed, even by a whisper.