Literary terms · AP English Literature, AP English Language, SAT Reading and Writing, ACT Reading
Iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter: A line of verse with five iambs, each an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, for about ten syllables.
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What it means
An iamb sounds like da-DUM. Five of them make iambic pentameter, the most common meter in English poetry and the meter of much of Shakespeare's verse. Its rhythm is close to natural English speech, which is part of why it is so widely used.
Variations from the meter, such as an initial stressed syllable or an extra unstressed one, can draw attention to particular words.
Example
'When I consider how my light is spent' follows the pattern: when I | con-SID | er HOW | my LIGHT | is SPENT.
On the exam
The exam does not ask you to scan lines formally. A meaningful break in rhythm is still useful support for an interpretation.
Lessons and practice questions
Related terms
- Blank verseUnrhymed lines of iambic pentameter, used widely in English drama and long poems.
- SonnetA fourteen-line poem, traditionally in iambic pentameter, with a set rhyme scheme and a turn in thought.
- EnjambmentThe continuation of a sentence or phrase past the end of a line of poetry without a pause.