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rising action

Structure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The section of a poem where tension, complexity, or intensity increases.

Detailed Definition
The building tension, developing conflict, and escalating stakes in narrative poems before reaching climax or turning point. Borrowed from dramatic structure's division into exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. In narrative poetry, rising action involves complicating initial situation, introducing obstacles, raising questions, and increasing urgency or danger. Essential in ballads, epic poetry, and narrative verse generally. Creates anticipation and momentum carrying readers toward crucial confrontation, revelation, or transformation. Effective rising action requires controlling pacing, strategically withholding information, and steadily increasing dramatic pressure.
Example
Example in poetry:
In “Romeo and Juliet,” rising action builds from meeting to balcony scene to secret marriage before tragedy; In “Beowulf,” rising action escalates from Grendel’s attacks to Grendel’s mother’s revenge; In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” rising action moves from invitation (“Let us go”) to existential paralysis; In “Citizen,” Rankine’s rising action accumulates microaggressions toward explosive realization; Student poem: tension builds from “She smiled” to “She left” to “The door locked.”
Additional Notes
The building tension and developing action in narrative poems before climax. Borrowed from dramatic structure. Conflict develops, stakes increase, complications arise. Essential in ballads and narrative verse. Creates anticipation and momentum toward turning point or climax.
Also Known As
dramatic escalation narrative build tension development climactic progression Complication Epitasis
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