what is iambic pentameter?

Monday, November 11, 2013-Take a handout from the front table

-You do not need a portfolio-Have a pencil out

What is Iambic Pentameter?

• For the following slides, we are going to ‘zoom in’ on a line from a poem, just like google maps, to identify all the components of Iambic Pentameter.

Line vs. MeterLine is simply a line of poetry, a pretty or deliberate order of words.Example:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

Meter is when a line of poetry has rhythm.Example:

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

…think M for rhythM

By the pricking of my rule of thumb!

Line is not always Meter, but Meter is always Line.

…what’s that rule about squares and rectangles? same difference.

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

1

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

1 2

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

1 2 3

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

1 2 3 4

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

1 2 3 4 5

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

1 2 3 4 5

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

1 2 3 4 5

Five feet to a meter=

Five feet to a meter=

PENTAMETER

…Think ‘Pentagon’

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

1 2 3 4 5

But soft!1

But soft!

1

But soft! /

BUM!Ba

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? / / / //

Ba BUM! Ba Ba Ba BaBUM! BUM! BUM! BUM!

Great!

• So now we know that Iambic Pentameter is:

A line of verse that is meter (which means it has rhythM)Made up of five or IAMBsEach IAMB has unstressed or STRESSED syllables

Now…how do we figure it out?• Count the syllables, does it have Ten?• Apply the rhythm to those words. Does

it sound smooth, does it flow, is it natural and complete?

If ‘yes’ to both questions, then ‘yes’ to IAMBIC PENTAMETER!!!!

Ba BUM!