Explanation

In declamatory style the emotional role of intonation increases, thereby intonation patterns used for intellectual, volitional and emotional purposes have an equal share. This style comprises two varieties of oral representation of written literary texts, namely: reading aloud a piece of descriptive prose (the author’s speech) and the author’s reproduction of actual conversation (the speech of characters). The speaker’s aim is to appeal simultaneously to the mind, the will and feelings of the listener by image-bearing devices. Declamatory style is generally acquired by special training and it is used, for example, in stage speech, classroom recitation, verse speaking or in reading aloud fiction. The intonation of reading descriptive prose has many features in common with that of reading scientific prose. In both styles the same set of intonation means is made use of, but the frequency of their occurrence is different here.

In the pre-nuclear part the Low Pre-Head may be combined with the Stepping Head, the broken Stepping Head, or a descending sequence of syllables interrupted by several falls. It is interesting to note that the Scandent Head is not found in reading descriptive prose, it is confined to scientific prose. The nuclear tone in final intonation groups is generally the Low Fall, or, less frequently, the High Fall. This is due to the fact that both in scientific and descriptive prose the prevailing sentence type is declarative, necessitating the use of the falling tone. The principal nuclear tones in non-final intonation groups are the Low Fall, the High Fall and the Fall-Rise. The simple tunes are more frequent in descriptive texts while the compound tunes are more typical of scientific texts.

When reading aloud a dialogic text it should be borne in mind that the intonation representing speech of the characters is always stylized. As far as the pre-nuclear pattern is concerned, it should be noted that the Low or High Pre-Head may be combined with any variety of descending, ascending or level heads. In the terminal tone both simple and compound tunes are widely used. Special mention should be made of the falling-rising tone which has a greater frequency of occurrence in reading dialogic texts than in actual situation. The overall speed of utterance in reading is normal or reduced as compared with natural speech, and as a result the rhythm is more even and regular. Pauses are either connecting or disjunctive, thereby internal boundaries placement is always semantically or syntactically predictable. Hesitation pauses do not occur, unless they are deliberately used for stylization purposes.

To select an intonation pattern for a particular utterance one has to take into account the author’s suggestion as to how the text should be read (eg. the playwright’s remarks, and stage directions in drama). Moreover, one has to consider the character’s social and educational background, the kind of relationship existing between him and other characters as well as the extra-linguistic context at large.

QUESTIONS and TASKS:

1. Give semantic characteristic of declamatory style.

2. What two varieties does this style comprise?

3. Speak on the essential characteristics of reading descriptive prose and reading a dialogic text in terms of terminal tones, tempo, rhythm, hesitation phenomenon.

4. Compare the intonation of reading serious descriptive prose (declamatory style) with that of reading scientific prose (scientific style). Identify and account for the similarities and differences.

5. Analyze the extract of a dialogic text. Discuss the way in which the author provides us with clues as to how the speech of the characters should be interpreted. In what way does this conversation differ from the natural speech of living people? What phonostylistic information is left out of the printed version?

6. Are author’s remarks as to how the text should be read important?

7. Find any extracts of your own exemplifying declamatory and scientific styles. Single out their phonostylistic peculiarities. Compare these two extracts and account for their similarities and differences. Be ready to act them out in class.

POETRY

Sonnet 66 ♫

ˈTired with ˈall _\ these,│for ˈrestful ‘death I >cry:│
ˌAs, to beˈhold de‘sert a >beggar ˙born,│
And ˈneedy “nothing ’trimmed ¦ in _\ jollity,│
And ˈpurest >faith unˈhappily for>sworn,
And ˈgilded ‘honour ‘shamefully mis ˆ placed,│
And “maiden ‘virtue „rudely >strumpeted,│
And “right per ˇ fection “wrongfully dis>graced,
And “strength by “limping _\ sway dis _\ abled,
And _\ art ˌmade ‘tongue-ˌtied by au _\\ thority,
And “folly ¦ ‘doctor-like conˈtrolling _\ skill,
And “simple “truth mis‘called sim>plicity,
And ˈcaptive >good atˈtending ˈcaptain _\ ill.
>Tired with >all these,│from >these ¯would I be _\ gone,
‘Save that, ¦ to ‘die,│ I ˈleave my _\ love aˌlone.