Iambic pentameter

Also called Blank verse, Metre, Trochee

Ten syllables a line, alternating unstressed and stressed. Shakespeare's default, and it means something when he breaks it.

What it is

An iamb is a pair of syllables, unstressed then stressed: da-DUM. Pentameter means five of them, so a line is ten syllables: "But SOFT, what LIGHT through YON-der WIN-dow BREAKS".

Blank verse is unrhymed iambic pentameter, which is what most of Shakespeare's dialogue is written in.

Where it applies

Shakespeare texts above all, and any poetry question about form.

How it works

The rhythm is close to English speech, so it sounds natural while still being formal — which is exactly why it was used for noble characters. Lower-status characters in Shakespeare frequently speak in prose, and a character switching between the two is a signal.

The breaks matter more than the pattern. A line with an extra syllable, or one that starts with a stressed beat, sticks out precisely because everything around it does not.

How to use it in your work

Do not count syllables in the exam unless you have a reason. The marks are in the exceptions: a character losing the metre as they lose control, a shared line split between two speakers, a shift from verse to prose.

"Macbeth's verse fragments after the murder, the regular line breaking into half-lines, so the form loses control at the same moment he does."

Where to get help

Your teacher and your set-text notes. The Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet songs both cover the verse.