You must not confuse the pause for emphasis with the natural pauses that come

through taking breath and phrasing. For example, note the pauses indicated in

this selection from Byron:

 

But _hush!_--_hark!_--that deep sound breaks in once more, And

_nearer!_--_clearer!_--_deadlier_ than before. _Arm_, ARM!--it is--it is the

cannon's opening roar!

 

It is not necessary to dwell at length upon these obvious distinctions. You will

observe that in natural conversation our words are gathered into clusters or

phrases, and we often pause to take breath between them. So in public speech,

breathe naturally and do not talk until you must gasp for breath; nor until the

audience is equally winded.

 

A serious word of caution must here be uttered: do not overwork the pause. To do

so will make your speech heavy and stilted. And do not think that pause can

transmute commonplace thoughts into great and dignified utterance. A grand

manner combined with insignificant ideas is like harnessing a Hambletonian with

an ass. You remember the farcical old school declamation, "A Midnight Murder,"

that proceeded in grandiose manner to a thrilling climax, and ended--"and

relentlessly murdered--a mosquito!"

 

The pause, dramatically handled, always drew a laugh from the tolerant hearers.

This is all very well in farce, but such anti-climax becomes painful when the

speaker falls from the sublime to the ridiculous quite unintentionally. The