A Rhetorical Pause—is one not dependent on the grammatical construction of a sentence, but is a pause made to enable the speaker to direct attention to some particular word or phrase, and is made by suspending the voice either directly before or after the utterance of the important phrase. In humorous speaking the pause is generally before the phrase, as it awakens curiosity and excites expectation; while in serious sentiments it occurs after and carries the mind back to what has already been said.
A pause of greater or less duration is always required whenever an interruption occurs in the progress of a thought, or the uniform construction of a sentence, as in the case of the dash, the exclamation, the parenthesis, etc. In these cases the mind is supposed to be arrested by the sudden change of sentiment or passion. It is necessary in most cases to make a short pause just before the parenthesis, which read more rapidly, and in a more subdued tone; when the parenthesis is concluded, resume your former pitch and tone of voice.
EXAMPLES OF RHETORICAL PAUSES.
(1.) After the subject of a sentence: Wine | is a mocker.
(2.) After the subject-phrase: The fame of Milton | will live forever.
(3.) When the subject is inverted: The best of books | is the Bible.
(4.) Before the prepositional phrase: The boat is sailing | across the river.
(5.) After every emphatic word: William | is an honest boy. William is | an honest boy. William is an honest | boy.
(6.) Whenever an ellipsis occurs: This | friend, that | brother, Friends and brothers all.
(7.) In order to arrest the attention: The cry was | peace, peace!