Iambic pentameter
Literary term · say it eye-AM-bik pen-TAM-uh-ter
Iambic pentameter is a verse rhythm built from five iambs, each an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Its usual ten-syllable line can vary, allowing pauses, extra syllables, or changes of stress without losing the underlying beat.
Where iambic pentameter shows up
Blank verse
Blank verse uses iambic pentameter without a regular pattern of end rhymes. It is common in Shakespeare's plays.
In Macbeth, Macbeth weighs the reasons against killing Duncan before Lady Macbeth arrives to challenge his resolve. His speech follows an unrhymed five-beat pattern, with variations.
In Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Sonnets
Many English sonnets use iambic pentameter within a fourteen-line rhyme pattern. The five-beat lines give the poem a steady framework.
In Sonnet 18, the speaker compares a beloved person with summer, then argues that the poem will preserve that person's beauty. Iambic pentameter runs through the comparison and its closing promise.
In Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare
Rhyming couplets
Two rhyming lines of iambic pentameter form a heroic couplet. Such pairs often carry a complete thought or a sharp conclusion.
In The Rape of the Lock, the Baron cuts off a lock of Belinda's hair, turning a social slight into a mock battle. Rhyming five-beat pairs give the incident the formal weight of a grand adventure.
In The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope
How to spot iambic pentameter
- Read the line aloud and listen for five main beats.
- Check whether lighter syllables usually come before stressed ones.
- Compare nearby lines to find the pattern beneath any variations.
Does iambic pentameter always have ten syllables?
Iambic pentameter usually has ten syllables, but not always. A line may add an unstressed syllable at the end or vary a foot within it. Look for the underlying five-beat pattern across several lines rather than relying on syllable counting alone.
What is the difference between iambic pentameter and blank verse?
Iambic pentameter names a meter, while blank verse names unrhymed verse in that meter. Iambic pentameter can also appear in rhyming sonnets and couplets. To tell them apart, check both the rhythm within each line and the rhyme at the line endings.
Related terms
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