[SarahW Posts: 304 Status: Offline The extraordinary in the ordinary. WWW]

Can someone explain to be the concept of stressed syllables? I'm used to all sorts of different rhyming patterns, yet it still escapes me how to stress words.

I can't strESS that enough! :D

This will indirectly help my prose, as I got the circular rhyme pattern down. But not the stressing. How stressing!

(Well I don't have everything down, I often confuse me and my.:C)

[JodyJS Posts: 1,276 Status: Offline Preorder now! Out April 2021! WWW]

Hi SarahW,

Tammi Sauer mentioned this website, rhymeweaver.com, on another thread about rhyming. It explains stressed/unstressed syllables. There are other good websites that explain it, too. I like Dori Chaconas's, http://www.dorichaconas.com/Icing%20the%20Cake%20page.htm.

The easy answer is stressed syllables are those you say louder and higher than other syllables in a word. For instance, take the word "excuse," as in the reason you give for not going to lunch with your friend. We pronounce it "ex-CUSE," with the second sound being emphasized or stressed. On the other hand, "Robert" is pronounced "ROB-ert," with the stress on the first syllable.

That's it.

When you rhyme, though, it's important that you write (and read) your work naturally, the way you actually speak and not unnaturally, for the sake of the rhythm.

Hope this is what you need.

[SarahW Posts: 304 Status: Offline The extraordinary in the ordinary. WWW]

Thanks I'll be sure to take a look! I'm thinking of starting with poetry books to break in while trying to write my next middle grade novella.

Oh and as an aside, I'm actually not thinking of a picture book but rather the structure of an epic poem. But without the epic adventure. I'll see if I can figure it out.

[marla-lesage Posts: 375 Status: Offline Write. Illustrate. Revise.]

The rhymeweaver explanation is quite good. I personally use dictionary.com to look up all words with more than 1 syllable to find out exactly which syllable is stressed naturally. With some practice it gets easier to hear.

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 6,855 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

I look up words too. Merriam Websters even has a little microphone icon and reads the word to you if you click on it.

For another example, let's take this word: Present. Give me one and it's a PREsent. But I could preSENT it to you. It's stress that creates rhythm. I tap or snap out the rhythm as I write to make sure the stresses are correct.

[wolfie712 Posts: 236 Status: Offline Teacher, Writer, Up-All-Nighter WWW]

Here's another basic guide to rhythm and meter:

http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/news/rhythm-in-poetry-the-basics/

I like the examples, and the capitalization makes the stresses easy to spot.

[KatyD Posts: 844 Status: Offline www.katyduffield.com WWW]

Sometimes, if I'm not sure, I'll say the word aloud both ways--AP-pull or ap-PULL. That a cheat that helps me figure it out. :-)

[onestepp Posts: 139 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

 Also if I'm not sure I would try saying the word quickly and then slowly to determine where the stressed part of the word lies.     

[Schriscoe Posts: 1,803 Status: Offline www.sharonchriscoebooks.com WWW]

The rhymeweaver explanation is quite good. I personally use dictionary.com to look up all words with more than 1 syllable to find out exactly which syllable is stressed naturally. With some practice it gets easier to hear.

Me too! Isn't it so cool and helpful!

[SarahW Posts: 304 Status: Offline The extraordinary in the ordinary. WWW]

I'll take a look at the rhyme weaver then. I have difficulty with other poetry devices, o'er and o'er again.