When you first dive into the works of William Shakespeare, the language might seem a bit strange. But there’s a trick to understanding and appreciating it. While Shakespeare is famous for his plays, he was first and foremost a poet. One of the key elements of his language is the use of stress—not the kind of stress that makes you anxious, but the emphasis we naturally place on certain syllables in words. We do this so often that we might not even notice it. However, if you say a word slowly, you can easily pick out which syllables are stressed.
Poets are very aware of these stresses and have experimented with them for centuries. They mix stressed and unstressed syllables in different ways to create rhythm in their poems. Similar to songwriters, poets use these rhythms, known as poetic meter, to express their ideas. In poetry, a “foot” is a unit of rhythm made up of a specific combination of stressed and unstressed syllables, much like a musical measure has a certain number of beats. A line of verse usually contains several feet.
For instance, a “dactyl” is a foot with three syllables: the first is stressed, followed by two unstressed syllables. Dactyls can create a fast-paced and forceful line. Another type of foot is the “trochee,” which has two syllables: a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one. In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” the trochees give the witches’ chant a mysterious and eerie feel.
But when it comes to Shakespeare, the iamb is the star. An iamb is a two-syllable foot where the first syllable is unstressed and the second is stressed, like in the phrase “To be, or not to be.” Shakespeare’s favorite meter was iambic pentameter, which consists of five iambs per line, totaling ten syllables. This meter is found in many of his most famous lines.
Notice how the iambs can cut across punctuation and word boundaries. Meter is about sound, not spelling. Iambic pentameter might sound complicated, but there’s a simple way to remember it. The word “iamb” sounds like “I am.” Now, think of a sentence in iambic pentameter: “I am a pirate with a wooden leg.” Imagine the pirate walking in iambs, reminding us of Shakespeare’s preferred meter. Iambic pentameter is like the pirate taking ten steps. Picture the footprints he leaves on a beach: a curve for unstressed syllables and a shoe outline for stressed ones.
Most of Shakespeare’s plays are written in regular prose. However, if you pay attention, you’ll see that his characters often switch to poetry, especially iambic pentameter, during moments of deep emotion or reflection. Whether it’s Hamlet contemplating life or Romeo declaring his love, they use iambic pentameter to express their feelings and thoughts about their place in the world.
So, why did Shakespeare choose iambic pentameter for these moments instead of another meter? Some suggest it was easy for actors to memorize and for audiences to understand because it fits naturally with the English language. But there might be another reason. Next time you’re in an emotional moment, place your hand over the left side of your chest. What do you feel? Your heart beating in iambs: da duhm, da duhm, da duhm, da duhm, da duhm. Shakespeare’s most poetic lines don’t just talk about matters of the heart; they follow its rhythm.
Choose a popular song and analyze its lyrics to identify any lines that follow the iambic pentameter structure. Share your findings with the class and discuss how the rhythm contributes to the song’s emotional impact.
Write a short poem using iambic pentameter. Focus on a theme or emotion that resonates with you. Share your poem with a partner and provide feedback on each other’s use of rhythm and meter.
Select a scene from a Shakespeare play where characters switch from prose to iambic pentameter. Perform the scene in small groups, paying attention to the change in rhythm and its effect on the characters’ emotions and the audience’s understanding.
Conduct a simple experiment by placing your hand over your heart and feeling its rhythm. Then, read a passage of iambic pentameter aloud. Discuss with classmates how the natural rhythm of the heartbeat might enhance the emotional delivery of Shakespeare’s lines.
Find examples of trochees and dactyls in Shakespeare’s works or other poems. Analyze how these different meters affect the tone and mood of the text. Present your analysis to the class, highlighting the contrast with iambic pentameter.
To someone first encountering the works of William Shakespeare, the language may seem unfamiliar. However, there is a key to appreciating it. Although he was renowned for his plays, Shakespeare was primarily a poet. One of the most significant aspects of Shakespeare’s language is his use of stress—not the kind of stress we often think of, but the way we emphasize certain syllables in words more than others. We are so accustomed to this that we may not notice it at first. But if you say the word slowly, you can easily identify the stressed syllables.
Poets are very aware of these stresses, having long experimented with the number and order of stressed and unstressed syllables, combining them in various ways to create rhythm in their poems. Like songwriters, poets often express their ideas through a recognizable repetition of these rhythms or poetic meter. Poetry has its own set of terms for describing this. In a line of verse, a foot is a specific number of stressed and unstressed syllables forming a distinct unit, just as a musical measure consists of a certain number of beats. One line of verse is usually made up of several feet.
For example, a dactyl is a metrical foot of three syllables with the first stressed and the second and third unstressed. Dactyls can create lines that move swiftly and gather force. Another kind of foot is the two-syllable long trochee, which has a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one. The trochees in certain lines from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” lend an ominous tone to the witches’ chant.
However, with Shakespeare, it’s all about the iamb. This two-syllable foot is like a reverse trochee, where the first syllable is unstressed and the second is stressed, as in “To be, or not to be.” Shakespeare’s favorite meter was iambic pentameter, where each line of verse is made up of five two-syllable iambs, totaling ten syllables. This meter is used in many of Shakespeare’s most famous lines.
Notice how the iambs cut across both punctuation and word separation. Meter is all about sound, not spelling. Iambic pentameter may sound technical, but there’s an easy way to remember what it means. The word “iamb” is pronounced just like the phrase “I am.”
Now, let’s expand that to a sentence that happens to be in iambic pentameter: “I am a pirate with a wooden leg.” The pirate can only walk in iambs, serving as a reminder of Shakespeare’s favorite meter. Iambic pentameter is when he takes ten steps. Our pirate friend can even help us remember how to properly mark it if we imagine the footprints he leaves walking along a deserted beach: a curve for unstressed syllables and a shoe outline for stressed ones.
Of course, most lines of Shakespeare’s plays are written in regular prose. But if you read carefully, you’ll notice that Shakespeare’s characters turn to poetry, and iambic pentameter in particular, for many of the same reasons we look to poetry in our own lives—when feeling passionate, introspective, or momentous. Whether it’s Hamlet pondering his existence or Romeo professing his love, the characters switch to iambic pentameter when speaking about their emotions and their place in the world.
This leads to one last question: Why did Shakespeare choose iambic pentameter for these moments, rather than another meter? It’s been suggested that iambic pentameter was easy for his actors to memorize and for the audience to understand because it’s naturally suited to the English language. But there might be another reason. The next time you’re in a heightened emotional situation, like those that make Shakespeare’s characters burst into verse, put your hand over the left side of your chest. What do you feel? That’s your heart beating in iambs: da duhm, da duhm, da duhm, da duhm, da duhm. Shakespeare’s most poetic lines don’t just talk about matters of the heart; they follow its rhythm.
Shakespeare – William Shakespeare was an English playwright and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. – In our literature class, we studied the themes of love and betrayal in Shakespeare’s “Othello.”
Iambic – Iambic refers to a metrical foot in poetry consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. – The line “To be, or not to be” from Hamlet is an example of iambic meter.
Pentameter – Pentameter is a line of verse consisting of five metrical feet. – Shakespeare often used iambic pentameter in his sonnets, giving them a rhythmic and harmonious quality.
Poetry – Poetry is a form of literary expression that uses rhythmic and aesthetic qualities of language to evoke meanings and emotions. – In our English class, we analyzed how the imagery in Keats’ poetry evokes a sense of beauty and transience.
Rhythm – Rhythm in literature refers to the pattern of sounds and beats created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables. – The rhythm of the poem mirrored the gentle flow of the river it described.
Meter – Meter is the structured pattern of rhythm in a line of poetry, determined by the number and type of feet it contains. – The poet’s use of varied meter added complexity and depth to the poem’s emotional impact.
Dactyl – A dactyl is a metrical foot in poetry consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables. – The word “beautiful” is an example of a dactyl, often used to create a rolling, expansive rhythm in poetry.
Trochee – A trochee is a metrical foot in poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable. – The opening line of Blake’s “The Tyger” uses a trochaic meter to create a striking and memorable rhythm.
Prose – Prose is a form of language that exhibits a grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than a rhythmic structure as in traditional poetry. – The novel’s prose was so vivid and descriptive that it painted a clear picture of the setting in the reader’s mind.
Emotion – Emotion in literature refers to the feelings and emotional responses evoked in the reader through the author’s use of language and narrative techniques. – The poet’s use of vivid imagery and metaphor stirred deep emotions in the audience.
