{"id":775,"date":"2017-10-25T01:28:52","date_gmt":"2017-10-25T01:28:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-introliterature\/?post_type=chapter&p=775"},"modified":"2017-11-20T18:02:37","modified_gmt":"2017-11-20T18:02:37","slug":"stress-in-poetry","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-introliterature\/chapter\/stress-in-poetry\/","title":{"raw":"Stress in Poetry","rendered":"Stress in Poetry"},"content":{"raw":"

Overview<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nStresses allow poets to focus readers' attention on the meaning of their poetry.\u00a0 We all know that poetry is different from everyday language.\u00a0 A lot of that sense of difference<\/em> resides in the stresses good poets manipulate in order to create meaningful experiences for readers.\u00a0 I don't expect you to start counting stresses.\u00a0 Most of the poetry we'll read is not in formal meter; however, you should become attuned to the sound of the words.\r\n\r\nHow does the poet choose to use stresses in a given line?\r\n\r\nFor what purpose does this word get used?\r\n\r\nHow does this sound?\r\n\r\nThese are all legitimate questions.\u00a0 I expect you to become aware (in a general way) of the way poets use sound for their purposes.\u00a0 You won't get to these questions unless you reread the poems.\u00a0 Reading aloud helps, too!\r\n\r\nIf you get the idea that stresses are relative and that poets play with patterns, you're in good shape.\u00a0 I also want you to see if<\/em> the NA poets we read follow iambic patterns.\u00a0 Don't expect them to rhyme--most contemporary poets couldn't rhyme if you paid them.\u00a0 (Hah, most contemporary poets couldn't get paid for their work, either, but that's another story.)\r\n\r\n \r\n

Stressed Yet?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nOkay: read aloud, reread, transitions.\u00a0 What else is there?\u00a0 Lots, actually!\r\n\r\nTake stresses, for example.\u00a0 In a heavily accented language like English, words have relative stresses.\u00a0 Here's an example: \"A man, a plan, a canal, Panama.\"\u00a0 Not exactly poetry, but it reads the same backwards as it does forwards (it's a palindrome).\u00a0 We can give this line stresses: put \/ in for a stressed syllable, and U above the syllable that's not as stressed.\r\n\r\nU\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U U\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0 U\r\n\r\nA man, a plan, a canal, Panama\r\n\r\nTry an easier one, now:\r\n\r\nThe rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.\r\n\r\nWhere would the stresses go?\r\n\r\nU\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \/\r\n\r\nThe rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.\r\n\r\nThat's right!\r\n\r\n \r\n

Form and Content<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nNow, you might disagree with my stresses here.\u00a0 It's somewhat open to interpretation.\u00a0 Words have stress patterns (just look in any dictionary).\u00a0 If you wanted to give mainly two stresses in a row, you'd probably avoid stressing \"on.\"\u00a0 Here's a major point about reading: Change the form and you change the content<\/strong>.\r\n\r\nI don't like using all caps, but that statement above is the big deal about poetry!\u00a0 Above, you changed the form (the stress pattern you saw), and that changed the content of the poem (its meaning).\u00a0 Form and content--it's all about form and content.\u00a0 When you look for a change in meaning, you'll probably also find a change in the form.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Metric Feet?\u00a0 Huh?\u00a0 Are we in Canada?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nPoetry is all about patterns.\u00a0 The unstressed-stressed pattern here is very important.\r\n\r\nA foot is a measure of stressed.\u00a0 Usually, feet have two syllables (though some have three).\r\n\r\nAn iamb is a pattern of unstressed stressed syllables.\u00a0 Is the second example iambic?\u00a0 (If you said \"yes,\" you're right.)\r\n\r\nA trochee is a foot where the first syllable is stressed and the second is unstressed.\r\n\r\nPoetry would be pretty boring if poets didn't vary the pattern.\u00a0 Just like in soccer or hockey, where players make certain moves, poets have moves.\r\n\r\nThe second example has how many feet? (5)\r\n\r\nThe second example has ____ syllables? (10)\r\n\r\nIt's called iambic pentameter<\/strong>.\u00a0 Its overall pattern is iambic, and it has five feet of two syllables each.\r\n

<\/h3>\r\n

Questions<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nWhy would five-foot lines be a good choice in poetry?\r\n\r\nWhat do ten-syllable (five-foot) lines allow poets to do?\r\n\r\nWhy would two-foot lines or ten-foot lines have major drawbacks?","rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Stresses allow poets to focus readers’ attention on the meaning of their poetry.\u00a0 We all know that poetry is different from everyday language.\u00a0 A lot of that sense of difference<\/em> resides in the stresses good poets manipulate in order to create meaningful experiences for readers.\u00a0 I don’t expect you to start counting stresses.\u00a0 Most of the poetry we’ll read is not in formal meter; however, you should become attuned to the sound of the words.<\/p>\n

How does the poet choose to use stresses in a given line?<\/p>\n

For what purpose does this word get used?<\/p>\n

How does this sound?<\/p>\n

These are all legitimate questions.\u00a0 I expect you to become aware (in a general way) of the way poets use sound for their purposes.\u00a0 You won’t get to these questions unless you reread the poems.\u00a0 Reading aloud helps, too!<\/p>\n

If you get the idea that stresses are relative and that poets play with patterns, you’re in good shape.\u00a0 I also want you to see if<\/em> the NA poets we read follow iambic patterns.\u00a0 Don’t expect them to rhyme–most contemporary poets couldn’t rhyme if you paid them.\u00a0 (Hah, most contemporary poets couldn’t get paid for their work, either, but that’s another story.)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stressed Yet?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Okay: read aloud, reread, transitions.\u00a0 What else is there?\u00a0 Lots, actually!<\/p>\n

Take stresses, for example.\u00a0 In a heavily accented language like English, words have relative stresses.\u00a0 Here’s an example: “A man, a plan, a canal, Panama.”\u00a0 Not exactly poetry, but it reads the same backwards as it does forwards (it’s a palindrome).\u00a0 We can give this line stresses: put \/ in for a stressed syllable, and U above the syllable that’s not as stressed.<\/p>\n

U\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U U\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0 U<\/p>\n

A man, a plan, a canal, Panama<\/p>\n

Try an easier one, now:<\/p>\n

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.<\/p>\n

Where would the stresses go?<\/p>\n

U\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0 \/\u00a0\u00a0 U\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \/<\/p>\n

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.<\/p>\n

That’s right!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Form and Content<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now, you might disagree with my stresses here.\u00a0 It’s somewhat open to interpretation.\u00a0 Words have stress patterns (just look in any dictionary).\u00a0 If you wanted to give mainly two stresses in a row, you’d probably avoid stressing “on.”\u00a0 Here’s a major point about reading: Change the form and you change the content<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I don’t like using all caps, but that statement above is the big deal about poetry!\u00a0 Above, you changed the form (the stress pattern you saw), and that changed the content of the poem (its meaning).\u00a0 Form and content–it’s all about form and content.\u00a0 When you look for a change in meaning, you’ll probably also find a change in the form.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Metric Feet?\u00a0 Huh?\u00a0 Are we in Canada?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Poetry is all about patterns.\u00a0 The unstressed-stressed pattern here is very important.<\/p>\n

A foot is a measure of stressed.\u00a0 Usually, feet have two syllables (though some have three).<\/p>\n

An iamb is a pattern of unstressed stressed syllables.\u00a0 Is the second example iambic?\u00a0 (If you said “yes,” you’re right.)<\/p>\n

A trochee is a foot where the first syllable is stressed and the second is unstressed.<\/p>\n

Poetry would be pretty boring if poets didn’t vary the pattern.\u00a0 Just like in soccer or hockey, where players make certain moves, poets have moves.<\/p>\n

The second example has how many feet? (5)<\/p>\n

The second example has ____ syllables? (10)<\/p>\n

It’s called iambic pentameter<\/strong>.\u00a0 Its overall pattern is iambic, and it has five feet of two syllables each.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Why would five-foot lines be a good choice in poetry?<\/p>\n

What do ten-syllable (five-foot) lines allow poets to do?<\/p>\n

Why would two-foot lines or ten-foot lines have major drawbacks?<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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