Engage Mod 1

WHAT IS IAMBIC PENTAMETER?

We cannot get into Shakespeare without drawing attention to a writing style called Iambic Pentameter. That would be a shame. So here we go.

Let's break it down:

• An iamb is a metrical foot that consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one—daDUM.
• Penta- means five.
• Meter refers to a regular rhythmic pattern in poetry.

So iambic pentameter is a kind of rhythmic pattern that consists of five iambs per line, almost like five heartbeats: daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM.

Let's try it out on the first line of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night:

If mu/ sic be/ the food/ of love,/ play on/. <5 iambs in there. That also amounts to 10 syllables.>

Just read that line aloud to yourself, and you'll be sure to hear those daDUMs.

Though many poets use this rhythm, Shakespeare used it quite often. Matter of fact, most, if not all, of his sonnets were written in Iambic Pentameter. Some are more famous than others but they are all very impressive. Check them out if you are interested. He also used Iambic Pentameter in his plays. This was different from his sonnets though because it was unrhymed. This is called blank verse. He liked the sound of its dramatic effect. He would, however, use ordinary prose as well. He was a rule breaker, that one.