Definition of iambic pentameter in English: iambic pentameter. Iambic Pentameter in Poetry and Verse. One writer in particular was famed for using it, William Shakespeare, although he was not the first, Chaucer used it to good effect before him, as you'll see in these iambic pentameter examples: Her vestal livery is but sick and green Let’s start with pentameter. What Is Iambic Pentameter? Iambic pentameter has been in English poetry for a long time, since at least the work of Geoffrey Chaucer in the fourteenth century. iambic pentameter meaning: a style of writing poems in lines of ten syllables with emphasis on the second, fourth, sixth…. Iambic pentameter (from Greek: ἰαμβικός πεντάμετρος meaning to have five iambs) is a commonly used metrical line in traditional verse and verse drama.The term describes the particular rhythm that the words establish in that line. Learn more. Iamb examples: a-BOVE, at-TEMPT, in-LOVE. Iambic pentameter is the most common type of iambic meter but there are several others, as you'll see in the examples below. Iamb: An iamb is a metrical unit that combines an unstressed syllable, and a stressed (emphasized) syllable. Another word for iambic pentameter. In poetry, iambic pentameter refers to a line with five metrical feet. A line of verse with five metrical feet, each consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable, for example Two households, both alike in dignity. Iambic pentameter is the most common type of meter used in poetry and verse. How to pronounce iambic pentameter. To understand iambic pentameter, it’s easiest to break the phrase down into two parts. Look it up now! Part 1: Pentameter. In iambic verse, each line consists of one or more iambs. The term “iamb” refers to a foot, which is one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Translate iambic pentameter into Spanish. To understand the iambic pentameter literary definition, we have to first understand its individual parts. How to say iambic pentameter. Iambic meter is defined as poetic verse that is made up of iambs, which are metrical "feet" with two syllables. Iambic Pentameter Literary Definition First, let’s define iambic pentameter. Listen to the audio pronunciation in the Cambridge English Dictionary. Iambic definition at Dictionary.com, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. Learn more. In poetry, meter is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a verse, or line, of a poem. “Penta” means “five,” and “meter” means “to measure.” Pentameter therefore means five measures of iambs, or five feet. See synonyms for iambic pentameter. noun Prosody . Iambic Pentameter: Definition and Meaning. Find more ways to say iambic pentameter, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. 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