Iambic Pentameter The Language of Shakespeare Listen to

Iambic Pentameter The Language of Shakespeare

Listen to my Sentences What’s Wrong? u John, can you open up the window? u. I will do that happily. u. I put the emphasis on the wrong syllable

What’s Wrong? Incorrect Emphasis, or Stress u John, can you open up the window? u. I will do that happily. u. I put the emphasis on the wrong syllable

That’s Better! Correct Emphasis, or Stress u John, can you open up the window? u. I will do that happily. u. I put the emphasis on the wrong syllable

How many syllables? Window Win dow 1 2 Happily Hap pi ly 1 2 3 Forgettable For get ta ble 1 2 3 4

Which Syllable is Stressed? (or emphasized) / Window Happily Forgettable Win dow 1 2 / Hap pi ly 1 2 3 / For get ta ble 1 2 3 4

How to mark poetry u u / is the symbol for a stressed syllable. u is the symbol for an unstressed syllable. / / / I like to eat my food because it’s good

Prose Writing versus Poetry u Romeo and Juliet is written in both prose and poetry. u Prose is like the writing we normally read, as in paragraph writing u In the play, prose is usually spoken by the common people and occasionally by Mercutio when he is joking.

Prose Writing versus Poetry u Romeo and Juliet is written in both prose and poetry. u Poetry is writing that has words that follow a pattern or contain poetic elements like meter, rhythm, and figurative language u Poetry is what most of the characters speak. The kind of poetry they speak is blank verse.

Blank Verse u Blank Verse – Poetry that is unrhymed (Blank means that the words do not rhyme) – Poetry that is written in Iambic Pentameter.

Iambic Meter Iambic meter happens when a stressed syllable follows an unstressed syllable. u Example: The word prefer / pre – fer u u u This sound is similar to your heartbeat: ta-tum, ta-tum

Iambic Pentameter u An unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable ( / ) is called an iambic unit. u Iambic pentameter means that there are 5 (penta) of these units ( / ) in each line. Here is an example: u u / / / But Soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

The Body Bag u u u u Line Line Line Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 My mom decided to get me a cat I cried so hard I needed a tissue I was so glad I just fell down and sat Down on the ground, it became an issue I looked around and saw a big turtle With a sad face that looked a little orange He said to me “can you fix my girdle? It feels just like an old rusty door hinge Just then I saw a bright flash of silver As bright as gold and shiny platinum My mom shot the turtle in the liver Her smoking gun rang out and flattened him I realize as I see our dear old flag I could have been placed in a body bag

The Dumb Fat Dog u u u u Line Line Line Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 I looked outside and saw a little dog I called to him and offered him some milk I thought the milk might lift his mood of fog and make his coat as soft and smooth as silk He looked at me just like a sly old cat and said “No way, I won’t eat here today ‘Cause I don’t want to end up big and fat So now I only eat up straw and hay. Sometimes I eat old pieces of paper, I once wolfed down a rotten piece of fish A girl complained so I threw up on her “Get lost, and don’t come back” I heard her wish The next time I will look to find a cat ‘Cause dogs are as dumb as a paper hat