What is an iamb?
by
Robert Betts
(Age: 64)
copyright 05-27-2001
Age Rating: 7 to 127
This is the start of a series to help those who don't know the "rules" I've said before that it is perfectly ok to break rules... in fact all the greats do and did it. BUT, for it to work you need to know what rules you are breaking (or be one of the greats) Some of them were lucky enough to have an inborn talent.
A good friend told me recently that poetry and music are likely related. I suspect he is very right. Some are blessed with musical talent and that seems to be easily transferred to poetry... But why?
Poetry depends on several things to be successful. First like I said in my previous article is conflict. This is the very same thing required of successful prose. Poetry after all, is simply an earlier variety of prose.
Next is meter. Even lines which do not rhyme at all need meter. It is the beat, the regularity, the heartbeat of poetry. Without it, the poem is dead.
Rhyme I will discuss in future articles in this series.
The basic measure of meter in poetry is the foot. You can sort of get the idea with foot-tapping. And that is why poetry has a lot in common with music. Music also has this quality only it is called the beat.
In music we have an accented beat, usually the first one. In poetry however, it is quite the opposite. It CAN be the first beat but usually it is the second.
And so is born the iamb (pronounced eye'-am-b). And? What is it? Simply one foot in poetry consisting of a first unaccented beat and the second accented: like this: ta TUM Now you just saw one iambic foot.
Let's see an example: (I will capitalize the accented syllables- Say it aloud and feel the rhythm)
the CUR few TOLLS the KNELL of PART ing DAY.
Wow, Guess what we have there? The famous and well known iambic pentameter.
(pronounced pent- am'-iter)
ta TUM ta TUM ta TUM ta TUM ta TUM
Five feet, five iambs
So why is iambic pentameter so popular? (And it is the most used form in the english language)
It is about what one can comfortably say in one breath, hence it's popularity.
So chew on this for a bit, memorize it and I'll be back with more articles.
Remember... anyone who learns the rules can write verse,... but only a poet can write poetry...
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I'm a bit confused, does this have to deal with iambic pentameter (assuming it does). Whenever I think of iambic pentameter, I think of Shakespeare (Ah, memories).
Wow. If only my printer was working, I would print all your lessons and live on them. This is really good. Also you could lower the age level if you want.
Alma H.
This was an excellent lesson on meter. Many people don't realize that without the meter, it is just a bunch of words thrown together and mistakenly called poety. No poetry doesn't have to rhyme, hence free verse, but it cannot surive without the beat. Very good article.
Bob!
"Even lines which do not rhyme at all need meter. It is the beat, the regularity, the heartbeat of poetry. Without it, the poem is dead." You're so much right. I know it is very main rule for Russian poetry (I'm writing in Russian language all my life). Thanks you I know why my poems are out of breath...
Fine lesson for me! Thank you.
Welcome !
