Prosody

Prosody is a concept in linguistics and the study of poetry broadly meaning the rhythm, pattern, and tone of language. Intonation is also a component of prosody, this is the rising and falling of speech often described as pitch and modulation. Prosody influences how speech and language is perceived by others. It can signify emotional states, sarcasm, and emphasis. Prosody can also help identify what kind of speech a segment is - is it a command, a question, or a general observation?