IAMBIC PENTAMETER
Iambic pentameter is a type of meter that is used in poetry and drama. It describes a
particular rhythm that the words establish in each line. That rhythm is measured in small groups of
syllables; these small groups of syllables are called "feet".
The word "iambic" describes the type of foot that is used. An iambic foot is an unstressed
syllable followed by a stressed syllable. We could write the rhythm like this:
da DUM!
The word "pentameter" indicates that a line has five of these "feet". A line of iambic pentameter
is five iambic feet in a row:
da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM
We can notate this with a '˘ (Breve) mark representing an unstressed syllable and a /
(Backwards Slash) mark representing a stressed syllable. In this notation a line of iambic pentameter
would look like this:
˘ / ˘ / ˘ / ˘ / ˘ /
This line from Act II, Scene II has been properly notated.
˘ / ˘ / ˘ / ˘ / ˘ /
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
THE SONNET
A Shakespearean sonnet consists of 14 lines, each line contains ten syllables, and each line is
written in iambic pentameter in which a pattern of a non-emphasized syllable followed by an
emphasized syllable is repeated five times. The rhyme scheme in a Shakespearean sonnet is
ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, in which the last two lines are a rhyming couplet.
Practice: notate the following sonnet: Practice: Now write your own sonnet about one of
Sonnet #18
your favorite things and notate it:
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? (A)