While I was researching different types of poems and I came across a few that were very interesting. At first I decided to investigate on ‘shape’ poetry because I didn’t know there was such thing. I started my investigation but then it entered my mind that this is an interesting type of poetry and I’m sure someone might have already done their investigation on it. I looked through everyone’s blog and yup, I was right. So I decided to go with the next type of poetry that I actually did not know was a form of poetry. Iambic pentameter. I always thought iambic pentameter was only used in plays or that it was a form of writing, not poetry. We’ve been studying Shakespearean plays for years now and I had heard my teacher mention that Shakespeare writes his lines in Iambic pentameter. That is one of the reasons why I did my investigation on it. Also because I love the way it sounds. This was the hardest type of poetry I researched, because it involves rythem, math, writing and probably more as you get into it. I know exactly what it is now but I would never be able to write one if I had to. This gave me a better appreciation for Shakespeare because most of lines are written in this form.
Iambic Pentameter is a particular rhythm in each line. That rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables, the groups of syllables are called feet. The word ‘iambic’ describes the type of foot that is used
Iambic Pentameter has:
*Ten syllables in each line
*Five pairs of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables
*The rhythm in each line sounds like:
ba-BUM / ba-BUM / ba-BUM / ba-BUM / ba-BUM (‘ba’ is unstressed and ‘BUM’ is stressed)
Most of Shakespeare’s famous lines and quotes are in the form of Iambic pentameter
Example:
If mu- / -sic be / the food / of love, / play on
Is this / a dag- / -ger I / see be- / fore me?
Or
Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth after Duncan’s murder:
“And wash this filthy witness from your hand.”
When you divide the verse into iambic feet, the line will look something like this:
And wash | this fil | thy wit | ness from |your hand
