Iamb

Recap: feet and stress patterns

To recap, here's a quick definition of a 'metrical foot':

There are many different types of poetic feet. You can identify which category a foot falls into based on which 'beats' (syllables) a writer emphasises within a word.

If a poet emphasises a syllable, it's referred to as a 'stressed' syllable; if they don't, it's known as 'unstressed'.

You can identify the meter as soon as you know where the stresses lie in a word or line. Different stress patterns have different names. Here's a list of the most common stress pattern combinations and their names.

• Iamb: Unstressed/Stressed (da-DUM)
• Trochee: Stressed/Unstressed (DA-dum)
• Spondee: Stressed/Stressed (DA-DUM)
• Anapest: Unstressed/Unstressed/Stressed (da-da-DUM)
• Dactyl: Stressed/Unstressed/Unstressed (DA-da-dum)

The iamb, which consists of an unstressed/stressed pattern, is underlined. As you can see, it contains one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

To state the final meter of a line, count how many times a particular stress pattern repeats per line. For example, a line containing three iambs is known as a line of iambic 'trimeter'. Here are a list of the most common meters and the number of feet they contain.

• Monometer = one foot
• Dimeter = two feet
• Trimeter = three feet
• Tetrameter = four feet
• Pentameter = five feet
• Hexameter = six feet
• Heptameter = seven feet
• Octameter = eight feet

It can be helpful to remember: as long as a line follows a consistent 'unstressed/stressed' pattern (da-DUM/da-DUM/da-DUM), it is iambic.

Iamb etymology

The word 'iamb' derives from the Greek iambos, a near identical poetical meter popular in ancient Greece. The 'iamb' is also closely associated with iambus, a genre of ancient Greek poetry that was often, but not always, written in iambic meter. Ancient Greek iambus poetry was often satirical, obscene, and insulting. Greek poets like Semonides (fl. 7th century BCE), Hipponax (fl. late 6th century BCE), and Archilochus (c. 680 - c.645 BCE) were the first poets to pioneer the genre.

Fig 1. This bust depicts Archilochus (c. 680 - c. 645BC), one of the earliest poets to pioneer the iambus genre.

Iamb example

The iamb is well-suited to a range of poetry because it has a comfortably paced, upbeat rhythm. Its gentle cadence is often compared to the beating of a heart (da-DUM/da-DUM). This makes the iamb ideal for poetry about love, human nature, feelings and emotions. The 'rising' beat can also make iambic poetry sound majestic and imposing.

'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' - William Wordsworth

Here are the first four lines from William Wordsworth's (1770-1850) 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' (1807).

Each line in this poem contains four repetitions of an unstressed/stressed pattern. This means that it is written in iambic tetrameter. The rhythmic and orderly meter makes the poem seem peaceful and relaxed. The gentle, uplifting pattern of the iambs matches the narrator's tranquil stroll through the countryside.

'I Love the Jocund Dance' - William Blake

Here's an extract from William Blake's (1757-1827) 'I Love the Jocund Dance' (1783).

As these lines only contain three repetitions of an iambic stress pattern, this verse is in iambic trimeter. The iambs once again create a relaxed cadence within the poem. In this case, the pleasant rhythm of the verse mirrors the gentle' softly breathing song'.

Iambic pentameter

Iambic pentameter consists of five repetitions of an unstressed/stressed pattern.

Iambic pentameter is the most common meter within all of English literature. It has been the meter of choice for innumerable poets and playwrights across history. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to use iambic pentameter within an English verse. However, evidence suggests that the verse format had been used in Europe long before it was ever found in English poetry.

Iambic pentameter is also used in several other English poetic forms.

Heroic couplets

What is the heroic couplet?

This style of poetry was introduced to English literature by Geoffrey Chaucer and is said to have been perfected by Alexander Pope (1688-1744) and John Dryden (1631-1700). Here's a couplet from Alexander Pope's 'Eloisa to Abelard' (1717).

This is an example of a 'closed' heroic couplet because each line is its own complete sentence. In contrast, if the first line of a couplet carries on to the second, it is referred to as an 'open' couplet.

Blank verse

Iambic pentameter is also a common component of blank verse.

The verse style first entered the English lexicon in the 16th century. Many authors have used it to great effect in their work, including the following:

• Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)popularised it with plays like Doctor Faustus (1592) and The Massacre at Paris (1593)
• William Shakespeare (1564-1616) most famously used blank verse in many of his plays.

Other notable poets who used blank verse include the following:

• John Milton (1608-1674)
• John Keats (1795-1821)
• William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
• Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

Here's a blank verse couplet from Shakespeare's 'Sonnet 18' (1609).

You'll notice that blank verse closely mirrors typical human speech. This explains why iambic pentameter is so popular with poets and playwrights alike; the verse always remains rhythmic and sounds natural when read aloud.

Fig 2. Thought you could make it through an article about poetry without coming across this man? Think again! Shakespeare was a huge fan of iambic pentameter, so much so that he used it in every one of his plays. That's a lot of blank verse!

Iamb in poetry

For further reading, here's a list of poetry that includes iambic verse.