English Literature - Poetry and Poetic Devices

English Literature
English Literature - Poetry and Poetic Devices

"Sonnet is a short poem of 14 lines that runs in iambic pentameter". What does 'iamb' mean in an iambic pentameter line ?


Options:

  1. One unstressed syllable followed by stressed syllable
  2. One stressed syllable followed by unstressed syllable
  3. Ten syllabic line
  4. Five stressed syllables

Right Answer: One unstressed syllable followed by stressed syllable

An iamb is the commonest metrical foot in English verse and consists of two syllables, the first unstressed and the second stressed, giving a rising rhythm often described as da-DUM. Pentameter means that the line contains five such feet, so an iambic pentameter line has ten syllables with stress falling on every second one. Shakespeare’s ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day’ is a standard illustration. Because this pattern closely resembles the natural cadence of spoken English, it became the staple metre of the sonnet, blank verse and much dramatic poetry.

This question is part of English Literature - Poetry and Poetic Devices, which has 17 practice questions with answers.

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