Accent.
Let us first consider accent. We have already tried to indicate what
it is. We will now attempt to find out what principles govern it.
Accent is very closely associated with rhythm.
It has already been stated that a reading of poetry will cultivate an
ear for accent. If every syllable or articulation of language received
exactly the same stress, or occupied exactly the same time in
pronunciation, speech would have an intolerable monotony, and it would
be impossible to give it what is called "expression." Expression is so
important a part of language that the arts of the orator, the actor, and
the preacher depend directly upon it. It doubles the value of words.
The foundation of expression is rhythm, or regular succession of stress
and easy gliding over syllables. In Latin it was a matter of
"quantity," or long and short vowels. In English it is a mixture of
"quantity" (or length and shortness of vowels) and special stress given
by the speaker to bring out the meaning as well as to please the ear.
Hence English has a range and power that Latin could never have had.
In poetry, accent, quantity, and rhythm are exaggerated according to an
artificial plan; but the same principles govern all speech in a greater
or less degree, and even the pronunciation of every word of two
syllables or more.
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