Literary notes about tempo (AI summary)
In literature, “tempo” is a versatile term that functions both as a marker of rhythmic pace and as a signifier of the passage or quality of time. In rhetorical works, for instance, it is used to instruct speakers on modulating their pace to maintain impact and avoid monotony [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Meanwhile, in poetic and classical texts the term can evoke the emotional cadence of a moment—imbuing scenes with nostalgia, sorrow, or fleeting joy, as illustrated in passages where recalling a “happy time” yields profound grief [7, 8, 9]. Additionally, “tempo” appears in proverbial wisdom and historical narratives, where it can denote the proper moment for an action or capture a bygone era, thereby enriching both the literal and metaphorical layers of expression [10, 11, 12].
- However, many passages cannot be changed to a slow tempo without destroying their force.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - It matters little how well you have mastered poise, pause, modulation, and tempo, if your speech lacks fire it is dead.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - 6. Note the changes of tempo in a conversation or speech that you hear.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - Reverse the instructions given, delivering everything that is marked for slow tempo, quickly; and everything that is marked for quick tempo, slowly.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - Note the change of tempo indicated in the following, and how it gives a pleasing variety.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - Be careful in regulating your tempo not to get your movement too fast.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - The reference is to Dante, Inferno , v. 121-3: Nessun maggior dolore Che ricordarsi del tempo felice Nella miseria.
— from The Early Poems of Alfred Lord Tennyson by Baron Alfred Tennyson Tennyson - El par che voi veggiate, se ben odo, dinanzi quel che 'l tempo seco adduce, e nel presente tenete altro modo>>.
— from Divina Commedia di Dante: Inferno by Dante Alighieri - Elena vedi, per cui tanto reo tempo si volse, e vedi 'l grande Achille, che con amore al fine combatteo.
— from Divina Commedia di Dante: Inferno by Dante Alighieri - Chi compra a tempo, compra a buon mercato.
— from A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs - Il buon marinaro si conosce al cattivo tempo.
— from A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs - In the United States, at any rate, the tempo of assimilation has been more rapid than elsewhere.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park