Understanding Shakespeares Poetic Style Iambic Pentameter and Sonnets

Understanding Shakespeare’s Poetic Style Iambic Pentameter and Sonnets

Shakespeare’s Sonnets �Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, including Romeo & Juliet. �He also wrote about 154 sonnets.

Shakespeare’s Sonnets �sonnet : a fourteen-line poem �Most of Shakespeare’s sonnets dealt with themes like love, life and death, and beauty.

Shakespearean Poetry Terms � unstressed syllable : a weakly pronounced syllable of a word; marked with a U � stressed syllable : a strongly pronounced syllable of a word; marked with a / � meter : the basic rhythmic pattern of a line of poetry � foot : one smaller part of meter; each foot contains a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables � iamb : an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (U /) U / � Afraid Af - raid U / � Become be - come U / � Appoint Ap-point � pentameter : five sets of feet, containing 10 syllables

�Many parts of Romeo and Juliet and Shakespeare’s sonnets are all written in Iambic Pentameter Five sets of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. OR Each line of poetry contains five iambs.

Iambic Pentameter �Five iambs U/ U/ U/ 1 2 3 4 5

Why did Shakespeare use iambic pentameter? �Two main purposes for iambic pentameter 1. Easier to memorize � Why do you think it would be important to Shakespeare, a playwright, that his writing was easy to memorize? 2. Helps the reader to tell the difference between upper class characters and lower class characters � Shakespeare would write lines for upper-class characters in iambic pentameter.

Why did Shakespeare use iambic pentameter? �Another reason for using iambic pentameter 3. We talk naturally in this rhythm. � We naturally speak in unstressed and stressed syllables. If we didn’t, we would be speaking in a monotone voice.

Iambic Pentameter Practice U / U / U I am a pirate with a wooden leg. / I AM a PIrate WITH a WOODen LEG.

Iambic Pentameter Practice U / U / U / I’m hungry. Is it almost time for lunch? I’m HUNgry. IS it ALmost TIME for LUNCH?

Iambic Pentameter Practice U / U / U / We hold these truths to be self-evident. We HOLD these TRUTHS to BE self- EVid. ENT.

Iambic Pentameter Practice U / U / U / So foul and fair a day I have not seen. So FOUL and FAIR a DAY I HAVE not SEEN.

Iambic Pentameter Practice U / U / U But soft: what light through yonder window breaks? U/ U / U It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. / /