Syllables, Stress & Feet

Table of Contents E very metrical system begins with the smallest units of spoken language. In English those units are the syllable , the stress , and the foot . Until these three elements are clearly understood and reliably heard, further study of meter remains abstract and uncertain. This lecture therefore concentrates on precise definition, practical recognition, and the relationships among the three. The goal is not memorization of labels for their own sake. The goal is the training of the ear so that stress patterns become audible and describable. Once the ear can hear syllables, stresses, and feet with confidence, the larger structures of meter become accessible. Info! English meter is built on the natural rhythms of English speech. The technical terms we use are simply a precise language for describing patterns that already exist in the way the language is spoken. Listening comes before labeling. The Syllable A syllable is the smallest unit of pronunciation that contains a single vow…