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When questions are connected by the conjunction or, the first requires the rising, and the second, the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.

1. Does he study for amusement′, or improvement`?

2. Was he esteemed for his wealth′, or for his wisdom`?

3. Sink′ or swim`, live′ or die`, survive′ or perish`, I give my hand and heart to this vote.

WEBSTER.

4. Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath-days′, or to do evil`? to save life′, or to kill`?

5. Was it an act of moral courage′, or cowardice`, for Cato to fall on his sword`?

RULE IV. Antithetic terms or clauses usually take opposite inflections; generally, the former has the rising, and the latter the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.

1. If you seek to make one rich, study not to increase his stores′ but to diminish his desires`.

2.

They have mouths′,—but they speak not`:

Eyes have they′,—but they see not`:

They have ears′,—but they hear not`:

Noses have they′,—but they smell not`:

They have hands′,—but they handle not`:

Feet have they′,—but they walk not`.

BIBLE.

NOTE I.—When one of the antithetic clauses is a negative, and the other an affirmative, generally the negative has the rising, and the affirmative the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.

1. I said an elder soldier` not a better′.

2. His acts deserve punishment` rather than commiseration′.

3. This is no time for a tribunal of justice′, but for showing mercy`; not for accusation′, but for philanthropy`; not for trial′, but for pardon`; not for sentence and execution′, but for compassion and kindness`.

RULE V. The Pause of Suspension, denoting that the sense is incomplete, usually has the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.

1. Although the fig tree shall not blossom′, neither shall fruit be in the vine′; the labor of the olive shall fail′, and the fields shall yield no meat′; the flocks shall be cut off from the fold′, and there shall be no herd in the stalls′; yet will I rejoice in the Lord`, I will joy in the God of my salvation`.

BIBLE.

NOTE I.—The ordinary direct address, not accompanied with strong emphasis, takes the rising inflection, on the principle of the pause of suspension.

EXAMPLES.

1. Men′, brethren′, and fathers′, hear ye my defense which I make now unto you.

BIBLE.

2.

Ye living flowers′, that skirt the eternal frost′!

Ye wild goats′, sporting round the eagle's nest′!

Ye eagles′, playmates of the mountain storm′!

Ye lightnings′, the dread arrows of the clouds′!

Ye signs′ and wonders′ of the elements′!

Utter forth GOD`, and fill the hills with praise`!

COLERIDGE.

NOTE II.—In some instances of a pause of suspension, the sense requires an intense falling inflection.

EXAMPLE.

1. The prodigal, if he does not become a pauper`, will, at least, have but little to bestow on others.

REMARK.—If the rising inflection is given on pauper, the sense would be perverted, and the passage made to mean, that, in order to be able to bestow on others, it is necessary that he should become a pauper.

RULE VI. Expressions of tenderness, as of grief, or kindness, commonly incline the voice to the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.

1.

Mother′,—I leave thy dwelling′;

Oh! shall it be forever′?

With grief my heart is swelling′,

From thee′,—from thee′,—to sever′.

2. O my son Absalom′! my son′, my son Absalom'! Would God I had died for thee′, Absalom′, my son′, my son′!

BIBLE.

RULE VII. The Penultimate Pause, or the last but one, of a passage, is usually preceded by the rising inflection.

EXAMPLES.

1. Diligence`, industry`, and proper improvement of time′, are material duties of the young`.

2. These through faith subdued kingdoms`, wrought righteous-ness`, 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.—The rising inflection is employed at the penultimate pause in order to promote variety, since the voice generally falls at the end of a sentence.

RULE VIII. Expressions of strong emotion, as of anger or surprise, and also the language of authority and reproach, are expressed with the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.

1. On YOU`, and on your CHILDREN`, be the peril of the innocent blood which shall be shed this day`.

2. What a piece of workmanship is MAN`! How noble in REASON`! How infinite in FACULTIES`!

3. O FOOLS`! and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have written concerning me`!

BIBLE.

4. HENCE`, HOME`, you idle creatures`, GET YOU HOME`, YOU BLOCKS`, YOU STONES`, YOU WORSE THAN USELESS THINGS`!

5. Avaunt`! and quit my sight`! let the earth hide thee`! Thy bones are marrowless`; thou hast no speculation in thine eyes which thou dost glare` with.

SHAKSPEARE.

6.

Slave, do thy office`! Strike`, as I struck the foe`!

Strike`, as I would have struck the tyrants`!

Strike deep as my curse`! Strike`, and but once`!

ID.

RULE IX. An emphatic succession of particulars, and emphatic repetition, require the falling inflection.

EXAMPLES.

1.

Beware` what earth calls happiness; BEWARE` All joys but joys that never can expire`.

2. A great mind`, a great heart`, a great orator`, a great career`, have been consigned to history`.

BUTLER.

REMARK.—The stress of voice on each successive particular, or repetition, should gradually be increased as the subject advances.

The CIRCUMFLEX is a union of the two inflections on the same word, beginning either with the falling and ending with the rising, or with the rising and ending with the falling; as, If he goes to ____ I shall go to ____.

The circumflex is mainly employed in the language of irony, and in expressing ideas implying some condition, either expressed or understood.

EXAMPLES.

1. Yoû, a beardless yoûth, pretend to teach a British gêneral.

2. What! shear a wôlf? a prowling wôlf?

3.

My father's trâde? ah, really, that's too bad!

My father's trâde? Why, blockhead, are you mâd?

My father, sir, did never stoop so low,—

Hê was a gentleman, I'd have you know.

4. What! confer a crôwn on the author of the public calâmities?

5. But yoû are very wise men, and deeply learned in the truth; wê are wêak, contêmptible, mêan persons.

6. They pretend they come to imprôve our stâte, enlârge our thôughts, and freê us from êrror.

7. But yoûth, it seems, is not my ônly crime; I have been accused of acting a theatrical part.

8. And this man has become a gôd and Cassius a wrêtched creature.