The question is focused on what Mr. Miller's poetry students are likely trying to determine about their words while practicing reading aloud. The correct answer is "stress."
Why "accent" is the wrong answer: "Accent" usually refers to the way words are pronounced in different regions or dialects and does not primarily focus on the emphasis placed on particular syllables in the context of poetry. While it does have to do with how words sound, it is more about the phonetic variability rather than the rhythmic structure and emphasis patterns within a given poem.
In poetry, "stress" refers to the emphasis placed on certain syllables of words, which helps to create the poem's rhythm and meter. Understanding stress is vital to conveying the emotional weight, meaning, and musicality of the poem.
Example of the correct answer (stress): In the line "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" from Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, the word "compare" is stressed on the second syllable: com-PARE. The stress pattern (the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables) helps establish the poem's overall rhythm. Emphasizing different syllables can change the feel and interpretation of the line, which is what students would practice focusing on when reading aloud.
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