Re: Be a Better Writer--MASTERING METER
Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 7:45 am
First of all, it's fine to reply, even to old posts. I get notifications for every reply, and I'm happy to answer.
For 1-syllable words like 'once,' the stress is determined by how the word is pronounced within the context of the words around it. For example, take this sentence written entirely in 1-syllable words:
I love to eat bread and cheese.
If I write it out, emphasizing the natural pattern of the spoken words, I'd write
i LOVE to eat BREAD and CHEESE.
And to further illustrate, here's what it might sound like if I stressed it on the 'wrong' syllables:
i love TO eat bread AND cheese.
Do you hear that this version just sounds wrong?
Within poetry or music, stress of 1-syllable words is also determined by the rhythm of the measures, and to some extent, the notes. So some 1-syllable words are 'neutral'--they can be stressed or unstressed, depending on where they fall in the line. Others really NEED to be stressed for meaning. Try singing a children's song like 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' to the tune of some other song, like 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat," and you'll hear that not only do the words not exactly fit, but sometimes you have to stress one in the wrong place, so that it just sounds 'off.'
I hope this helps. If you have follow-up questions, feel free to post them here.
For 1-syllable words like 'once,' the stress is determined by how the word is pronounced within the context of the words around it. For example, take this sentence written entirely in 1-syllable words:
I love to eat bread and cheese.
If I write it out, emphasizing the natural pattern of the spoken words, I'd write
i LOVE to eat BREAD and CHEESE.
And to further illustrate, here's what it might sound like if I stressed it on the 'wrong' syllables:
i love TO eat bread AND cheese.
Do you hear that this version just sounds wrong?
Within poetry or music, stress of 1-syllable words is also determined by the rhythm of the measures, and to some extent, the notes. So some 1-syllable words are 'neutral'--they can be stressed or unstressed, depending on where they fall in the line. Others really NEED to be stressed for meaning. Try singing a children's song like 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' to the tune of some other song, like 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat," and you'll hear that not only do the words not exactly fit, but sometimes you have to stress one in the wrong place, so that it just sounds 'off.'
I hope this helps. If you have follow-up questions, feel free to post them here.