What do you call the part of the poem that generally carries the primary stress or emphasis?

The part of the poem that generally carries the primary stress or emphasis is referred to as a stressed syllable. In poetry, a stressed syllable is one that is pronounced with greater force or emphasis than other syllables within the same line. This emphasis helps to create rhythm and can enhance the overall emotional impact of the poem.

Stressed syllables often play a crucial role in the metrical structure of a poem, creating patterns such as iambs or trochees, which can influence how the poem is read and interpreted. Understanding stressed syllables is fundamental for analyzing the rhythm and flow of poetry, as well as the poem’s overall mood and tone.

In contrast, metre refers to the structured rhythm of a poem, involving the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables, but does not specifically denote the individual syllables themselves. The thesis in poetry does not exist as a standard term related to stress but usually pertains to a broader argument or perspective one might take when analyzing a work. Accent, while it can refer to emphasis in language, is distinct from the specifically defined concept of a stressed syllable in the context of poetry.