Syllabic Emphasis and Rhythm

How many times have you wondered what the most important characteristic of poetry is? Maybe during an assignment or while reading a book you’ve wondered just what makes poetry, poetry. The most important parts of poetry when analyzing, writing, and reading it are syllabic emphasis and rhythm. They are in fact the literary glue that hold the work together and make it possible to be realistically interpreted while analyzing.

Syllabic emphasis is especially helpful to the flow of a poem. It creates volume and a sense of humor.When reading poetry, whether out loud or in your head, certain syllables are emphasized to keep the rhythm of the poem consistent. Without syllabic emphasis, the rhythm would change throughout the entire poem and it would be very difficult to read. A poem needs to flow in your mind as easily as the ocean water flows onto the sandy beach. In “Delirious Bulldogs and Nasty Crockery: Tennyson as Nonsense Poet,” Anna Barton talks about a limerick by Edward Lear.

            There was a young lady of Corsica,

Who purchased a little brown saucy-cur;

Which she fed upon ham, and hot raspberry jam,

That expensive young lady of Corsica (qtd. in Barton 317).

The verse makes absolutely no sense when just the words are read, but the rhythm and syllabic emphasis are very apparent. Consequently, it is easy for the reader to keep time with the verse of the poem when reading it out loud or even in his head. If there is no rhythm in a piece of writing, it can not be considered poetry.

Image from Illinois State University. Appropriate Use Copyright

 This image visually shows syllabic emphasis. The accented syllables are the one that are emphasized. The unaccented ones are said as the background.

A good example of a poet using syllabic emphasis and rhythm to determine and convey the tone of a piece is “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. He uses words with the same endings, as well as partial rhyme, to give the work an ominous tone. He uses a trochee, which is a poetic form that follows a syllabic pattern of one stressed followed by one unstressed syllable. When read correctly, the piece flows with a steady rhythm and it is easy to feel the portentousness around the room, no matter where you are at. When the poet makes you feel what he wants you to feel, he has accomplished his goal.

When writing your own poetry, whether on your own or as an assignment, you will need to add many things to the piece, such as shape and word choice. However, the most important parts you need to add will be syllabic emphasis and rhythm. Without these two aspects, a piece of writing can not be poetry because there will be no flow. Reading the poem needs to be easy and steady with a set pattern of syllables being accentuated.

Using syllabic emphasis when writing poetry not only makes the poem relatable, but it also helps to form a more realistic kind of writing. So the next time you read or write a poem, make sure you pay special attention to the syllabic emphasis and rhythm. Those are the most important parts.

We chose this topic because we all have an interest in poetry, which is uncommon in today's youth. Two members of our group actually write poetry. We want others to realize how important syllabic emphasis and rhythm are in poetry. 
Alexis - I am a freshman in college. I graduated early last December. I plan on transferring to a school in Chicago to graduate with a Creative Writing degree. 
Ashley -I am also a freshman in college. I love to write poetry, but I am currently majoring in nursing.