Metered verse in English is almost always accentual verse. Iambs in accentual verse: Accentual verse is poetry in which the meter derives from the stress, or emphasis, placed on certain syllables.The term iamb takes on a different meaning depending on the type of verse in which it’s used: accentual verse or quantitative verse. For example, iambic pentameter is a type of meter that contains five iambs per line (thus the prefix “penta,” which means five).Īccentual vs Quantitative Verse and Iambs Poetic meters are named for the type and number of feet they contain. Meter: A pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that defines the rhythm of lines of poetry.Foot: In poetry, a ' foot' refers to the rhythmic units that make up lines of meter.For instance, in the word “happily” the emphasis is on the first syllable (“hap”), so “hap” is the first “stressed” syllable and the other two syllables (“pi” and “ly”) are “unstressed.”

Stress: In poetry, the term stress refers to the emphasis placed on certain syllables in words.

Free verse: Poetry without any strict meter or rhyme scheme.

Blank verse: Poetry with a strict meter but no rhyme scheme.

Formal verse: Poetry with a strict meter (rhythmic pattern) and rhyme scheme.

Poetry: Also referred to as “verse,” poetry is a genre of literature that consists of writing that is arranged into lines that often follow a pattern of rhythm, rhyme, or both.We cover each of these in depth on their own respective pages, but below is a quick overview to help make understanding iambs easier. In order to understand iambs in more depth, it’s helpful to have a strong grasp of a few other literary terms related to poetry. Here's how to pronounce iamb: eye-am Iambs in Depth Oddly enough, the stress pattern of the word 'iamb'-stressed unstressed-is that of a trochee.

The opposite of an iamb is a trochee, a metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable (as in the word ' Po-et').

It is the primary meter of many poetic forms, including the sonnet, and is also the form of meter most often used by Shakespeare in his plays.

Iambic pentameter-a line of poetry containing five iambs-is the most common meter in English poetry.

The other feet are: trochees, anapests, dactyls, and spondees.

Metrical patterns in poetry are called feet.

The word 'define' is an iamb, with the unstressed syllable of 'de' followed by the stressed syllable, “fine”: De- fine. What is an iamb? Here’s a quick and simple definition:Īn iamb is a two-syllable metrical pattern in poetry in which one unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable.

Standard iambic pentameter sonnet form