—R. B. Sheridan
Where a word is used to qualify another, the qualifying word should be emphasized; as,
They planned no sluggard people, passive while the world’s work calls them. They established no reactionary nation. They unfurled no retreating flag.
—Albert J. Beveridge
The fathers planted a people, established a nation, and unfurled a flag; but they did not plant a sluggard people, establish a reactionary nation, nor unfurl a retreating flag. It is by means of placing the emphasis on the qualifying words in this example that the meaning is instantly interpreted.
Some years ago a critic,[2] in commenting on E. H. Sothern’s reading of the line from The Love Chase, “The cause of causes, lady,” justly criticised him for emphasizing the unimportant word of, but the critic himself fell into as great an error as the actor when he cited the following as correct placing of emphasis: My heart of hearts, the man of men, great among the greatest, mightiest in the mightiest, and cause of causes. The meaning in each instance is best brought out by placing the principal emphasis on heart, man, great, mightiest, and cause, and secondary emphasis on hearts, men, greatest, mightiest, and causes. The ideas being that it is in the very center of the heart, that he towers above all others, that it is stronger than all others, and that it is the creator of creatures. Therefore the phrases should read: My heart of hearts, the man of men, great among the greatest, mightiest in the mightiest,, the cause of causes.
The same critic, a little further on in the same book,[3] takes Julie Marlowe to task for reading the following lines from Romeo and Juliet thus:
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
He states it should be read:
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.