In the examples below, we have put the stressed syllable in bold: First, let’s look at the “iamb” part of the term.Įxamples of an unstressed (short) syllable, followed by a stressed (long) syllable would be two-syllable words that have their stress on the second syllable. Let’s expand the two terms to help you understand them better. “Penta” means “five,” and “meter” means “to measure.” Pentameter therefore means five measures of iambs, or five feet. The term “iamb” refers to a foot, which is one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. In poetry, iambic pentameter refers to a line with five metrical feet.
The meter refers to the number of syllables in a line of poetry, while the rhyme scheme, or rhyming pattern, indicates which lines in the poem rhyme. Structures for poems include a set meter and rhyme scheme. When you write a poem, you can choose whether you want to follow a set structure or do free verse. If you are studying Shakespeare or even poetry in general, you will most likely hear the term “iambic pentameter.” This refers to a type of structure for poems.
