Page images
PDF
EPUB

How many forms of contrast are there? There are three: the single, the double, and the triple.

What is the single contrast? The single contrast is where one word, phrase, or sentence is contrasted with another; as,

Helen was not a sinner, but a sufferer, and our feeling for her should not be one of hatred, but of compassion.

GORGIAS

This sentence gives two good examples of the single contrast, "sinner" being opposed to "sufferer" and "hatred" opposed to "compassion."

What is the double contrast? The double contrast is where two words or phrases are contrasted with a like number of words or phrases; as,

In fact it is a universal law, not that the stronger should yield to the weaker, but the weaker to the stronger; that the stronger should lead, and the weaker follow.

[ocr errors][merged small]

In this example, "stronger," the first time it is used, is contrasted with "weaker" the second time it is used, and the first "weaker" with the second "stronger." In the second phrase, "stronger" is contrasted with "weaker," and "lead" with "follow."

The double contrast requires, as a rule, that the first member should be given the falling inflection, the second the rising, the third the rising, and the fourth the falling, thus bringing the first and the third, the second and the fourth, in contrast; as,

For it is equally wrong and stupid to censure what is commendable, and to commend what is censurable.

- GORGIAS

This is a good illustration of the double contrast. "Censure" is contrasted with "commend," and "commendable" with "censurable." When the double contrast is contained in two phrases, the first phrase being positive and the other phrase negative, the first member should be given the rising inflection, the second the falling, the third the falling, and the fourth the rising. In this way the contrast will be clearly shown and the negative and positive qualities retained; as,

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.* -THE BIBLE

In this example, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth" is contrasted with "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven," and as the former is negative, it requires the rising inflection, while the latter requires the falling inflection, because it is positive; "where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal" is contrasted with "where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal"; therefore the former, being positive, should be given the falling inflection, while the latter, being negative, should be given the rising inflection.

*Matthew, vi:19-20.

In the triple oppositions the inflections alternate, the first member receiving the rising inflections, the second the falling, the third the rising, the fourth the falling, the fifth the rising, and the sixth the falling; as,

66

She loved me for the dangers I had passed,
And I loved her that she did pity them.
SHAKESPEARE

She" is contrasted with the second "I," "me" with "her," and "dangers" with "pity.”

What is the triple contrast? The triple contrast is where three words or phrases are contrasted with three other words or phrases; as,

Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. - LINCOLN

99.66

The triple contrast is between "one" and "other," "make" and "accept," "survive" and "perish." This is a splendidly constructed sentence, and contains more information than many paragraphs made up of numerous sentences. It is because of the masterly arrangement of contrasts that so much is stated in so small a space.

How are the contrasts to be brought out? By means of inflection and emphasis. The single contrast requires that when both members are positive the first should be given the rising inflection and the second the falling; as,

The human mind is the brightest display of the power and skill of the Infinite mind with which we are acquainted. -JOHN TODD

The contrast is between the words "human" and "Infifinite," and as both of them are positive, "human" is given the rising inflection and "Infinite" the falling, thus marking, by means of the different inflections, the difference between the words. All words that are contrasted

are given emphasis as well as inflection.

Whenever the words or phrases that are contrasted consist of negatives and positives, the former should be given the rising inflection and the latter the falling inflection, irrespective of their location; as,

They fell and were buried; but they never can die. GEORGE W. CURTIS In this example the positive statement that the heroes "fell and were buried" requires the falling inflection, while the negative one that "they never can die" should be given the rising inflection in order to mark the contrast.

PARENTHESIS

What is a parenthesis? A parenthesis is a secondary idea that is interjected into a main idea in order to amplify or explain it; as,

He who has a memory that can seize with an iron grasp and retain what he reads - the ideas, simply, without the language, and judgment to compare and balance-will scarcely fail of being distinguished. -JOHN TODD

The main idea is, "He who has a memory that can seize with an iron grasp and retain what he reads, will scarcely fail of being distinguished"; the secondary, or parenthetical, idea being, "the ideas, simply, without the lan

guage, and judgment to compare and balance." This is a long and important parenthesis. It contains two thoughts, "the ideas, simply, without the language,"

66

and judgment to compare and balance," which materially amplify the main thought and at the same time qualify it.

What is the use of the parenthesis? It is of great use to the extempore speaker in that it permits him, after he has started his sentence, to explain or amplify his thought before coming to a conclusion; as,

A whole family, just, gentle and pure, were thus, in their own house, in the night time, without any provocation, without one moment's warning, sent by the murderer to join the assembly of the just. -WILLIAM H. SEWARD Seward starts with the idea of stating that a whole family were foully murdered, but after commencing to express his thought, he desires to qualify it, so he halts it to interject the fact that this whole family were “just, gentle, and pure." Were it not for the use of the parenthesis, he would have been compelled to use another sentence. Care should be exercised in using parentheses, as they tend to confuse the listener unless properly spoken.

How should a parenthesis be spoken? In order to show that the speaker has left the main idea and taken up a secondary one, he should change the pitch of the voice on leaving the main idea, or while speaking the parenthesis, and immediately resume the original pitch on resuming the main idea.

The following is a striking example of the use of

« PreviousContinue »