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Stress

Psychology
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

Physical or mental tension resulting from external pressures; in poetry, it conveys angst, conflict, and the strain of characters under duress, often driving narrative tension.

Explore this topic in depth (1)

Metre and Rhythm — Metre gives poetry an underlying pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables; rhythm is the living sound that results when a person reads it. Learn to hear the beat before naming it, and to notice how poets use regularity and variation to make language move.

Detailed Definition
Stress in poetry quickens pace, fragments syntax, and uses crowded imagery—traffic, deadlines, noise. It reflects modern life's relentless demands, often in urban or workplace verse. Poets explore stress's toll on health, relationships, and spirit. Stress invites readers to share the overwhelm, and its presence often critiques societal expectations, offering moments of pause or escape as counterpoints to relentless pressure.
Example
Example in poetry:
Stress in Philip Larkin's poetry where stress is a theme; In contemporary urban poetry, stress is a subject; In confessional poetry, stress is a frequent emotion; In "The Waste Land," stress is a theme; In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," stress is a theme; In dramatic monologues, stress reveals character.
Additional Notes
Stress in poetry quickens pace, fragments syntax, and uses crowded imagery—traffic, deadlines, noise—reflecting modern life's relentless demands. In teaching, distinguish stress from anxiety: stress is tension from external pressures, while anxiety is diffuse worry. Poets explore stress's toll on health, relationships, and spirit, critiquing societal expectations. Stress invites readers to share overwhelm. Students should examine how poets use fragmented syntax, rapid rhythm, and imagery of crowding to convey stress's frantic, relentless pressure.
Other Meanings of “Stress”
Also Known As
Pressure tension worry strain anxiety
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