Glossary of Poetic Terms
-
Stress
-
A syllable uttered in a higher pitch—or with greater emphasis—than others. The English language itself determines how English words are stressed, but sentence structure, semantics, and meter influence the placement and perception of stress. See also accentual verse, accentual-syllabic verse, foot, meter, rhythm, and scansion.
Looking to learn about poetry?
-
Check out our Learn area, where we have separate offerings for children, teens, adults, and educators.