What is Iambic Pentameter?

Let’s define some terms to help explain this one. Meter refers to the pattern of syllables in a line of poetry. The most basic unit of measure in a poem is the syllable and the pattern of syllables in a line, from stressed to unstressed or vice versa. This is the meter. Syllables are paired two and three at a time, depending on the stresses in the sentence.

Two syllables together, or three if it’s a three-syllable construction, is known as a foot. So in a line of poetry the cow would be considered one foot. Because when you say the words, the is unstressed and cow is stressed, it can be represented as da DUM. An unstressed/stressed foot is known as an iamb. That’s where the term iambic comes from.

Pentameter is simply penta, which means 5, meters. So a line of poetry written in pentameter has 5 feet, or 5 sets of stressed and unstressed syllables. In basic iambic pentameter, a line would have 5 feet of iambs, which is an unstressed and then a stressed syllable. For example:

If you would put the key inside the lock

This line has 5 feet, so it’s written in pentameter. And the stressing pattern is all iambs:

if YOU | would PUT | the KEY | inSIDE | the LOCK

da DUM | da DUM | da DUM | da DUM | da DUM

That’s the simplest way to define iambic pentameter.

Great examples of a iambic pentameter poems would be many of Shakespeare’s sonnets. He often wrote sonnets and whole lines of dialogue from plays in this meter.

Other Poetry Definitions

It can help to understand the other forms of feet and meter that are used in poetry.  These are all determined by the stressing pattern.

DA dum (FORest)  =  Trochee

DA DUM (RED CAT) =  Spondee

da da DUM (like a WOLF) = Anapest

DA da DUM (CUT the FLESH) = Dactyl

da dum (and the) (-ing the) = Pyrrhic

Understanding the rhythm of poetry and how to read a line to determine whether iambic pentameter or some other meter is used can help you learn to write your own poetry and better appreciate the writings of classic and modern poets.

Why Does Shakespeare Use Iambic Pentameter?

You might ask yourself, “Why does any poet use iambic pentameter?”, or even, “What is iambic pentameter?” Iambic pentameter is a basic rhythm that’s pleasing to the ear and a popular poetry form. You can write any sentence and read it, and of course it has syllables. Some of them are stressed, just like in a poetic rhythm. But that doesn’t make it poetry–only writing with that meter, or rhythm, in mind can do that.

Many poets today, and probably through the ages, have not used iambic pentameter, at least not intentionally. Many disregard rhythm at all and simply choose words that sound good to them that get their point across. This type of thing is like a painter who decides to paint a circle. He draws a circle on the canvas, and begins painting without even looking at the circle he just drew. The paint is going to get outside the circle and the entire circle might not even be filled in. That painter is not concerned with form or rhythm at all but is essentially just going with the flow and doing what feels right at the moment.

When poets sit down to write a poem but disregard form, rhythm and other poetic constructs, that’s what they’re doing. They might end up with something beautiful, but if they’d stayed within the lines there’s a much better chance that the finished product would be a good one. Shakespeare, like many poets through the years, use iambic pentameter because it gives the poem a certain flow and actually defines it as poetry.

William Shakespeare and Iambic Pentameter

Shakespeare and iambic pentameter go together hand in hand because he used the form so often. Look at any sonnet he’s written and you’ll instantly see examples of it. He also used it in some characters’ dialogue while writing his plays. A student of Shakespeare can’t avoid the study of iambic pentameter, any more than a budding poet could avoid reading Shakespeare’s sonnets.

When one reads the famous and inspirational poems of William Shakespeare, immediately the attention is drawn to the rhythm that is contained within the lines. Shakespeare was able to exceptionally situate blank verse (verses of poetry that follow no rhyme scheme) and free verse (verses of poetry that follow no particular rhythmic pattern) in the midst of a rhythmically driven section of his writings. He was also skilled at utilizing iambic pentameter as the standard method of speaking in dialogues between key characters, especially in a petrarchan sonnet – where he wrote about unachievable love between two main characters; his most famous examples can be found in the work: Romeo and Juliet. His charming and regular utility of this rhythm has attracted the attention of many poetic scholars throughout the ages, but, even still, some people are left asking, “What is iambic pentameter?”

The iambic pentameter is defined by its rhythm of pairing ten syllables for each line into five pairs. Each pair is known as an iambus and the style itself is a much renowned poetic rhythm, still emulated by poets and aspiring writers to this day. The modern lyric poem is particularly fond of containing this poetry structure, particularly because of the easy-to-follow rhythm that can keep the audience captivated throughout a recital. Often Shakespeare’s iambic lines were spoken by relatively well-to-do characters, and were rarely used by the lower class characters in his work. Because of how standard such a rhythm was throughout many of William Shakespeare’s plays, they often ran the risk of monotony. To create variety in his poetry, he often utilized breaks throughout the meter, and introduced characters or lines that spoke in a wide range of manners and meters. In addition to poetic devices that were specially created to break the meter of a long section of poetry, he was well known for experimenting with the placement of words and syllables throughout his free verses and blank verses. The placement was made exceptionally easy due to how the majority of his poems followed no rhyme scheme, and as such: allowed the placement of any word in any location so long as it was relevant to the writing.

In his unique writing techniques and break from the commonly experienced lyrical poems of his time, Shakespeare left behind a memorable legacy of poetry for all future generations to enjoy. With his experimentation in varying meters and styles, he is still widely regarded as one of the greatest dramatists and poets of all time.

Prior to beginning, one must understand how this poetry structure works before attempting to apply it in their poems. As one can deduce from the name, the line’s meter is divided into five pairs of two syllables each; each line has to contain exactly ten syllables for the meter to be effective. Each syllable pair is known as an iambus, and though five of these were most prevalent in the works of Shakespeare, he often produced less or more in his writings, to add variety and color to the words that were read.

Although the poetry structure is extremely attractive and can be very fun to recreate, it is important to use it when it is best applicable: such as in poems that are meant to be read aloud. One of the most prominent uses for these types of meters is in the lyric poem, where the poetic rhythm is clearly defined and easily adapted relevantly to the subject matter and presentation. A petrarchan sonnet is also a particularly good place for this poetic structure to be set, because of how the sonnets themselves may appear as something Shakespeare would write. These romantic texts are meant to revolve around the subject matter of unattainable love, and as such can be read aloud with the iambic pentameter keeping the rhythm for your audience.

Experimentation with such meters in different poetic genres and styles can be a very fun part of the creative process. By playing with various applications of blank verse and free verse, as well as the pentameter form, you can create an exciting effect in your poetry. As with any art however, practicing can help you get used to the style and apply it with increased skill. With applied time and dedication – you too can apply the iambic structure to your writings in a way that is both uniquely done and attractively enticing.

Iambic pentameter is only one of the many forms of poetry structure, and has been popular for centuries; yet, sometimes people still ask, “What is iambic pentameter?“  Iambic pentameter consists of alternating five pairs of stressed and unstressed syllables and each line features ten syllables. Blank verse is the un-rhymed form of this structure and is the English language’s most commonly used metrical pattern in poems. Iambic pentameter examples are one of the best ways to explain this particular form of poetry.

The most famous example comes in the works of William Shakespeare who frequently used this particular structure in his work. Interestingly, this form was mostly used for characters in the upper classes, leaving his lower class characters to speak in prose. Such a dynamic gives an idea to the weight given to the iambic form.

Of course iambic pentameter is not the only high-brow form of poetry. The petrarchan sonnet, or Italian sonnet, named for its developer Frances Petrarch has been revered for centuries as the oldest form of sonnet. Poets such as John Milton, whose Paradise Lost is a definitive work in iambic pentameter, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Elizabeth Barrett Browning are known for utilizing this form of verse in their works.

Even though the sonnet typically uses iambic pentameter, it also includes other forms such as tetrameter and hexameter. The Italian sonnet is actually divided into two sections: the octave and sestet. The octave is the first eight lines consisting of an “1 2 1 1 1 2 2 1” rhyme scheme. The sestet can have a variety of rhyme schemes including “3 4 3 4 3 4,” “3 4 4 3 4 3,” “3 4 5 3 4 5,” “3 4 5 3 5 4” or “3 4 3 5 4 3.”

Free verse tends to break all these conventions leaving boundaries set by any metrical form behind.  Although free verse may have its own distinct rhythm, it does not need to rhyme or follow any particular stress patterns. Many modern poets follow this form, following the example of famous names including T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman. Even with this throwing away of convention, free verse poetry can have distinct cadences and rhythms depending on the poet’s personal style.

Poetic rhythm can range from a lyric poem to a Spenserian sonnet.  Poetic styles need not be as restrictive as an iambic form as long as the poetic structure is true to its writer’s vision and is original. Poetry in any form should be expressive and take its readers into a different realm of experience.

Poetry is one of the most beautiful forms of writing that have been in practice for centuries. While poetic writing styles have gone through an enormous transition over the years and most of the poems these days are written in the free style, people still love to read the Shakespearean style of writing.

Let us now go through some of the most common and popular forms of poetry structure and poetic rhythm which have consistently mesmerized the masses for ages.

Iambic pentameter poems are known to be one of the most popular forms of poetry writing and Shakespeare was known for using this form of sonnet writing. With this writing style, certain syllables are given much more emphasis than the others are. The iambic style of writing was Shakespeare’s favorite style and has been very popular among all poetry lovers for centuries past. For a more in-depth explanation f this style of poetry, we suggest you read out post, What is Iambic Pentameter.

A blank verse is a poem of iambic pentameter that contains a non-rhyming pattern of lines. Robert Frost is one of the famous poets who have made use of this form of writing and one of his poems which utilizes blank verse form is entitled “Mending Wall”.

The free verse, as the name describes, is a poetic form that has no set rules of writing. It is a free style, which can include a rhythm scheme, but does not always do so.

An Ode or sonnet that describes a poet’s feelings is often called a lyric poem. This type of poem mainly focuses on describing a poet’s emotions in relation to a particular scenario or event.

The Petrarchan sonnet is another beautiful style of poetry that has been in use for generations. This type of poetry consists of a sonnet described as a lyric poem, which is made up of a single stanza that consists of 14 lines. While sonnets can be written in many forms, Petrarchan is one of the famous styles. The Petrarchan style involves the expression or introduction of a problem in an octave pattern and the resolution of the problem towards the end in a sestet pattern.

Poetry has become a well-known therapeutic art that gives the poet an outlet to express his or her feelings n a wonderfully creative way. No matter what style of writing the writer chooses to use, good poetry can capture the imagination of the person who is reading it and pull them into the mind of the writer, which can be a very intense experience. The beauty and eloquence with which the poets’ craft the words help the reader enjoy a world of imagination and beauty, which is introduced by the poet.