ODE TO THE SUN. Fiend and merciless heart-breaker, Judas-like, with kisses greeting, Midnight ruffian, dire assassin, Scorpion dire, whose dread fangs fasten, Mud-bedaubing, beastly idol, Millions prostrate to thee fall: Fiery dragon belching poison, Biting adder, stinging serpent, What black monster, what misanthrope, Cruel king, black-hearted spirit, Sent to shake the world in wrath, Thy wild victims all inherit Darkest shades of endless death. Anti-Christian, fell deceiver, Fountain of the great deep, broken Deluge from death's ocean flowing, Daily sweeping men away; 37 Another word-study, but of an absurd character, is this brief example If the speaker will give action to his delivery it will heighten the effect. ODE TO THE SUN. (68).-Anon. Hail, hyperdiaphanous and superlustrous orb of day, The garish rooster abulates with turgent, pompous mien, The following colloquial narrative in rhyme offers a study for rapidly varying tone, manner, and expression. Care must be taken to modulate the voice, so as to make each Day appear to be speaking for itself. A good caricaturist would be able, with this piece, to create a "mimic stage scene, with his several Days for characters. THE DAY'S DISPUTE. A FABLE. (28) 29) (30).—C. P. Cranch. Once on a time the Days of the Week And Monday said: "I wash the clothes." Said Friday: "I'm the day for fish." One declared he was made for prayer Another for keeping treasure. Some of them said: "We are best for work." Now, as they quarrelled, their tempers rose, And all of 'em screamed together; They blew and rained, and hailed and snowed, Old Father Time was passing along, And heard the hurly-burly: Said he "Here's something going wrong It's well I got up so early. "These children of mine have lost their wits, Who ever heard such a Babel clack? "You, Sunday, sir, witn your starched cravat, Tell me the cause of this angry spat- "You are the loudest speaker here, The old-time sentence offered for exercise in articulation, viz.:— "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” every student will remember. It was a good and proper exercise, only not extended enough. We have in the example following, one similarly intended, but, so much more elaborate, that the student will find his powers of memory, as well as of speech, severely tasked in its enunciation. It is a curious instance of artificial sentence construction-every word in it commencing with p. Such examples, of course, are worth but little in point of sense, style, or expression, but serve as an excellent study. If there is too much of this for the student's time and patience to master, it can readily be abridged. PERSECUTED PRINCE POPSCHIKOFF !—Exercise in Articulation. Polydore Pompom, Pumpernickel's puissant Palatine, possessed prodigious power; Pumpernickel's political position presented particularly promising prospects. Peace prevailed; people prospered pecuniarily, personally, privately, publicly-palmy period! Princes possessed peculiar privileges. Poor peasants paid plentiful premiums. Palatines' prerogative precluded payment; plebeian purses provided patrician pleasures. Proud, pompous, pre-eminently practical, Pompom prepared parades, processions, pageantry, pleasing people's perceptive powers. Pompom possessed productive provinces, princely palaces, priceless pearls, ponderous plate, Pomperanian poodles, prancing ponies, powdered, periwigged pages-plenty. Present palatial pomposity passed Pompom's predecessors' proudest perform ances. Prince Paul Popschikoff, Pumpernickel's presumptive Palatine, paralleled Pompom's popularity. Paul painted prettily; polked politely; produced promising poems (printed privately); profoundly pursued philosophy, philology, physics, pneumatics, practised piano-forte playing, photographed, published political pamphlets. Prince Popschikoff particularly patronized Professor Poggendorf, performer. Pourquoy? Pauline, Poggendorf's protégée, pretty, plump, piquante, prepossessed Prince Paul, produced purest, profoundest passion. Presents, professions, promised, passed. Pauline's presence produced particular pleasure. Parted, Paul pined perceptibly; Pauline pensively perused Paul's pathetic poems. Poor persecuted pair! Prying people perceived Paul's passion. Paltry, profligate parasites prejudiced Prince Pompom; pretending patriotism persuaded Pompom Popschikoff plotted parricide-pernicious people! Paul Popschikoff, pacing Potsdam's Palace Park, perceived Prince Pompom perusing political papers. "Paul," Pompom paternally prefaced, "Poland promises political protection, provided-" (Pompom paused)." Paul, Poland's pretty Princess possesses power, provinces, prodigious pelf. Propose, Paul, propose!" Popschikoff preferred Pauline. "Pardon, papa; Princess Pugnozikoff's passable-Pauline's positively perfect!" "Pauline! pah !-poor, paltry plebeian. Paul, paternal partiality's past; plotter, parricide, pay penalty! Police!" Pompom's private police patrol pinioned Popschikoff. Paul's punishment proceeded promptly.-Prince Pompom pocketed Paul's private patrimony. Precluding princely privileges put Paul past pardon's pale; people petitioned-pleaded plaintively; Pompon pilloried petitioners; persecuted Professor Poggendorf; prohibited political plays. Potsdam's pitiless prison pent poor Pauline. Political partisanship prevailing; Pompom prorogued Parliament. Proscribed, persecuted, penniless, poor Popschikoff, perforce, pursued peculiar paths. Persecution persistently pursued Pop POEM-PARANA. 41 schikoff. Perambulating Poland, plundering Podolians. Providence protected Popschikoff; physicians' prescriptions predominated. Paul, passing Padua, Padre Pablo, Popish priest, prosecuted Paul, pretending Paul propagated Protestant principles. Pope Pius prohibited Popschikoff's presence. Penultimately, Paul perambulated Polar parts. Powerful pirates plundered Paul's pinnace. Pilgrimage pursued. Paraguayan people (perpetually pugnacious) proffered Popschikoff Paraguay's Presidency. Prince Paul, perceiving political perils, preferred private poverty. Portentous pagans, pervading Patagonia's prolific pampas, pilfered Paul's purse, pommeling Paul, placing Paul 'pon Patagonia's profoundest precipice. Poor Popschikoff! Persistent persecution! Perpetual perils! Passing Peru, Paul perseveringly penetrated-pleasant productive province ! pouring perennial plenty, producing picturesque profusion. Plumous palms, primæval pines, prodigious plantains, primroses, peonies, pimpernels, producing pleasant perfumes. Purple-pinioned parakeets prattle prettily; perching parrots peck pendant pomegranates; pumas prowl; ponderous penguins pursue piscatorial prey. Placidly, pellucidly, purls Paraña, penetrating pathless primæval plantations. Picturesqueness put Paul's poetic perceptions paramount. Performing prelude, Paul praised Parana. Peruse Popschikoff's poetical production: POEM-PARANA. Proud Phoebus 'pon Paraña plays 'Pon Pernambuco's palmy plain, Poor pilgrim, pause, partake, procure Pausing, Paul perceived Pauline ! "Prodigious! Pauline! pas possible." Popschikoff petrified! Precisely, Paul. Pumpernical patriots plotted; pervaded Potsdam Palace; pistolled Prince Pompora; proclaimed Provisional Presidency; packed prisoners Peru-wards-passage paid. Perceive Paul!—parchment promoting Prince Paul Popschikoff Pumpernickel's perpetual Palatine !" Perfectly pleased, Popschikoff perused parchment patriotically! |