IAMBIC PENTAMETER Sounds BIG and SCAry BUT what

IAMBIC PENTAMETER Sounds BIG and SCAry, BUT what DOES it MEAN?

Iambic Pentameter

Syllables • English words have clear syllables. • We can usually divide words into syllables easily. • We can also determine which syllables to emphasize, or “stress” in each word. § For example: • Angel = AN-gel (not an-GEL) • Complete = com-PLETE (not COM-plete)

More Syllables • poem = PO-em……. (1 stressed + 1 unstressed) • poetry = PO-e-try……. (1 stressed + 2 unstressed) • relief = re-LIEF……. (1 unstressed + 1 stressed) • recommend = re-com-MEND……. (2 unstressed + 1 stressed) • discomfort = dis-COM-fort… (1 unstressed + 1 unstressed) • entertainment = en-ter-TAIN-ment (2 unstressed + 1 unstressed)

Poetic Meter • Meters are the rhythms within poems. • Meters are the arrangement of stressed/unstressed syllables to occur stressed at equal intervals.

Poetic Meter • A poetic meter is a sequence of poetic feet. • Poetic Meter = the number of times the beat is repeated

Poetic Foot • A poetic foot is a repeated sequence of rhythm comprised of two or more stressed and/or unstressed syllables. • Poetic foot = beat

Five main patterns to poetic feet: 1. Iambic 2. Trochaic Anapestic 4. Dactylic 5. Spondaic 3.

Combinations of Poetic Feet • • • One foot per line: monometer Two feet per line : dimeter Three feet per line : trimeter Four feet per line : tetrameter Five feet per line : pentameter Six feet per line : hexameter

Numerical Prefixes • • Monotone = one Divide = two TRIangle = three Tetragram = four • PENTAgon = five • HEXAgon = six

Type + Number = Meter • • • Types of Poetic Feet Iambic (1 unstressed + 1 stressed) Trochaic (1 stressed + 1 unstressed) Anapestic Dactylic (1 stressed + 2 unstressed) Spondaic (all syllables equal) (2 unstressed + 1 stressed) Number of feet per line • • • Monometer Dimeter Trimeter Tetrameter Pentameter Hexameter

Iambic Pentameter • IAMB = metrical FOOT with one unstressed syllable and a 2 nd STRESSED syllable. • PENTA = FIVE! • Iambic Pentameter = Five, 2 syllable, feet (10 syllables in each line)

1 Ta-TUM 4 3 2 Ta-TUM 5 Five Feet!

Shall I com PARE a SUM- thee TO mer’s DAY?

How sweet the moon upon light sleeps this bank!

Trochaic Pattern • 1 stressed syllable followed by 1 unstressed syllable • EXAMPLES: – garland (GAR-land) – speaking (SPEAK-ing) – value (VAL-ue)

Trochaic Tetrameter • Beat: 1 stressed syllable followed by 1 unstressed syllable • 4 feet EXAMPLE: DOUble TOIL and TROUble 1 2 3 4 FI-re BURN and CAULdron BUBble 1 2 3 4

WHY did Shakespeare use iambic pentameter? • To show emotion or importance • It made it easier for the audience to follow the lines. • It helped the actors to memorize their lines. • It made sure that the actors emphasized the words Shakespeare wanted to emphasize. Shakespeare was meant to be heard!

Iambic Pentameter Practice I NEED ten VOLun. TEERS to COME up FRONT.

DO! Living iambic pentameter

1 Ta-TUM 4 3 2 Ta-TUM 5 Five Feet!

Macbeth 2. 2. 60 -66 Lady Macbeth: 1. And wash this filthy witness from your hand 2. Why did you bring these daggers from the place? 3. They must lie there. Go carry them and smear 4. The sleepy grooms with blood. Macbeth: I’ll go no more. 5. I am afraid to think what I have done.

Five (PENTA) feet (IAMBS) = IAMBIC PENTAMETER! • As YOU can SEE it’s NOT that HARD to LEARN. • You CAN see it’s not THAT hard TO learn THIS. • You CAN write JUST like SHAKE speare DID back THEN. • Did YOU know THAT I’m WRITing LIKE that NOW? • And IT gets EA si ER the MORE you TRY. • I AMB ic PEN ta ME ter’s NOT that BAD!

You try! 1. Write 3 -5 lines in Iambic Pentameter about yourself – ON YOUR INDEX CARD! 2. This means each line should have 10 syllables. 3. Underline the 2 nd syllable. 4. Write your name on your card to be collected, but DO NOT include your name IN the poem so we can guess who wrote it. 5. As a card is read, you will try to guess who it is.

Who is it? He COMES from CAna. DA, a POP sin. GER. By SINGing ON you. TUBE be. CAME fa. MOUS Da. TED Dis. NEY star SEle. NA Go. MEZ

Example: My fav’rite animal’s the long necked giraffe. I come from Maui the valley isle I teach at Campbell High in the tenth grade.