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Show GENERAL INTERPRETATION reader cannot ignore it, if he would. 127 Many people have the natural imitative ability to mimic those around them in speech and man ners. So' we have students who can do one dialect, but they should be ambitious to cultivate this faculty until they can give any dia lect. It is a great training to the ear, and wonderful development of the faculty of observation. The best way to study dialect is life; to talk to those using dialect, have them read to you, anything to get the music of their speech ringing in your ear. The pronunciation of the dialect is the least of the problem, for dia lect is largely the way of saying, the rhythm, and inflection .of the speech. So it should sing itself into your consciousness like a song. One can no more speak a dialect until he becomes mentally as well as orally conscious of it than one can sing a song merely by hear ing it mentally. There are many selections which are only imitations of dialect -they lack the soul of the literature. Riley himself, the master of this form, says, "Briefly summed, it would appear, that dialect means something more than mere rude form of speech and action -that it must, in some righteous and substantial way, convey to us a positive force of soul, truth, and dignity, beauty, grace, purity 2 and sweetness that may even touch us to the tenderness of tears." In order to read dialect well, the reader should visualize the character speaking, and surrender himself to the same "superior wisdom of dictation" from the person within, in the same manner as Riley was always conscious of the dictation of "Benj. F. John son." A nice elegant manner and mode of feeling and thinking must be changed to conform to the characterization. We should advise that little, if any, dialect be taught in high schools. The secondary pupil has had very little opportunity to come in contact with any dialect, except that which he finds at from This dialect he is not apt to hear-it is no doubt his vernacular, and he does not recognize it as dialect. In large his elbow. own cities where it is easy to study types and dialect, a little time may be given to such life studies, but it should be very little. The stronger, the better the good diction of the pupil, the better foundaIt is recommended that every teacher or lover of dialect read the entire on Dialect in Literature, reprinted from the Forum, in Riley's Neighborly Poems-The Bobbs-Merrill Co., Indianapolis. 2 essay |
