Notes on Word Stress in Sentences, Poems and Songs

Factors that determine the word to receive stress in a sentence or line in poetry or song or line in a narrative.
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stress-notes

Factors that  determine the word to receive stress in a sentence or line in poetry or song or line in a narrative. 

Can you identify factors to guide you in knowing the word to stress in a sentence or line?


1. We stress content words in a line or sentence. This is in the order of: nouns (image stressed), verbs (action stressed) and then adjectives (description stressed) as last.


Examples of stressed content words:

Issatou died,

When he was only ten


2. In poetry and songs, a content word coming before a caesura (coma) receives more stress since there is an expected pause to help the listener focus on the content.


Example of words stressed before a comma: 

In Carolina,

The man, great was he,

Died like a honey bee

At honey harvesting.

As he cried, 'sting

Oh- of corona.'

3. Stress imagery words in proverbs or riddles and the key punning word in a pun. 

Example of stressed imagery words in proverbs, riddles and puns:

Riddle

Challenger: Riddle, riddle.

Respondent: May riddle come.

Challenger: I have a house without a 

door.

Respondent: That is an egg


Proverb

When a cat is away; a rat can play.


Pun

Go and row away from the ocean


4. In questions, we stress question words (what, do, where etc.) and content word towards the end.


Example of stressed question words and content words:

1. Do you need to eat food today?

2. Where are you taking Lydiah?

3. Will you eat your lunch right now?

4. What did you want the doctors to do to save her?

5. What did you want the doctors to do to save Lukorito?


5. We stress the two alternatives in an alternative giving statement.


Examples of stressed alternatives in sentences:

1. Either Tom or Mary will win the creative cultural dance.

2. Do you want tea or juice?

3. You will neither marry my sister nor me.

4. If you eat, you will vomit.

5. You have to give me money or meat.


6. We stress words following only, barely ..


Examples of stressed words after only, barely, etc:

1. Give me only two. (Stress two to highlight the number)

2. He died when he was only ten.

3. Only men will eat the gizzard?

4. Put it only on the sufuria.


7. We stress pronouns if they are found at the end of a line or sentence or if the refer to key person mentioned


Examples of stressed pronouns:

1. I hate you more than she.

2. Mandela was great, he made Africa proud and he taught forgiveness


8. New information word or phrase in a dialogue. Stress the key word carrying the needed information

Examples of stressed new information word or phrase stressed:

Nato: How many potatoes were you given?

Muyu: Mandila gave me one ugly, small potato in the morning.

Nato: You deserved it.

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