# Iambic Pentameter



## Darren White (Nov 14, 2017)

As TuesdayEve rightfully remarks, her poem, written in couplets, is not a iambic pentameter, the poem is built with 10-syllable lines.

What is the difference between a poem with 10 syllables a line, and iambic pentameter?
First of all, 10-syllables lines give more freedom, although you have the restriction of 10 syllables to pay attention to. Metered rhyme, ANY metered rhyme (there are more than Iambs alone) adds more restrictions, because the rhythm, or cadence, needs to be fitting as well. Very difficult, especially making it a flowing poem without too many 'filler words'

What does Iambic Pentameter looks like? It consists of five recurring patterns within the meter (pentameter means 5x the pattern in the meter, penta = five). In an example it looks like this:
da*DUM*/ da*DUM/* da*DUM*/ da*DUM*/ da*DUM/*
where 'da' is a syllable without stress (accent) and *'DUM/'* is the stressed (accented) syllable.

My sonnet below is written in Iambic pentameter, but it has 'deviations', it's not perfect. If you start counting the syllables, you'll find lines with more than 10 syllables, 11 to be precise. That is a COMMON occurrence, and not only something of my sonnet.

Let's do the scansion (counting syllables, and noting the meter) on the first two lines of my poem. (Rhyme scheme, for who is interested abab cdcd efg efg)

Oh*..**be/**..**..**..*my *heart/* for *me/**..**..*when *it/**.**..**..**..**.*stops *bea/....*ting,
da*..**.**DUM*/ da*..**DUM*/*..*da*..**DUM*/ da*.**..**..**..**DUM*/ da*.**..**..**.**DUM*/*..*da
here you will note 11 syllables, after the last accented syllable a 'mute' one follows

my *lungs/* to *breathe/* thin *air/**.**..**..**pain/ **.*fully*..**chill*,/
da*..**DUM*/ *.*da*.**DUM*/*.**..**..**..*da*.**..**.**DUM*/ *DUM*/ da da *DUM/*
Here you see a real deviation in the meter (2x *DUM DUM*, 2x da da), I DID choose PAINfully deliberately, even knowing I broke the meter. I never intended to write the perfect iambic pentameter. PAINfully was intended that way, to emphasize what will follow in the poem.

Click here for a very good website on Iambic Pentameter

Now do the scansion with my complete poem, and see if you can come up with more irregularities. Good luck  

*Last Tango
*
Oh be my heart for me when it stops beating,
my lungs to breathe thin air painfully chill,
my feet to dance the world while I am living
as they still want, but now no longer will.
Be my two arms and tug me in our tango—
flamenco palo, wrap your wings around
my lithe frame, chant me our concluding canto
with all the strength in us you somehow found.

Oh sit with me and reminisce those dances—
pure, perfect passion, smile and lift your head,
observe illuminated skies above you.
We'll meet again, we'll waltz soon in Atlantis.
With you here, there is nothing that I dread,
do not be sad, this is not an adieu.


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## TuesdayEve (Nov 14, 2017)

Where do I begin....thank you.... the iambic site mentioned is great...although I haven't read it entirely yet...even I can understand it... it also says, which you mentioned above, that eased my mind, the rule of 10 syllables is commonly bent to 9 or 11 syllables which for me is more natural than 10. Your sonnet is beautiful; the sadness of the past once lived yet peacefully living in the moment and the promise of a positive future. The flow is melodious... I've read it several times... it's lovely Darren. Thx again


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## Sara Ella (Nov 14, 2017)

OMGoodness I love this poem!    You share you love for dance and passion for life.  It is now even better that I understand what iambic pentameter is.  You explanation is easy to understand and the website link as fun!  The rhythm of words made me look at Shakespeare in a different way and of course the heart beat rhythm is a wonderful example <3
Thank you so much Darren!


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## Darren White (Nov 20, 2017)

Come on friends, try a scansion of my sonnet, it's fun and we can use it to improve our skills.


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## Pelwrath (Nov 20, 2017)

Well, I can say this is a nice and well done explanation of this style of poetry.  Yet, to me it comes across as an exorcise in counting, phonetics and probably why I know hardly nothing about it. Your explanation and the link are interesting and I'll read them multiple times and once not scared by it, probably try one. Thanks for posting.


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## TuesdayEve (Nov 20, 2017)

Darren, working on your sonnets' scansion


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## TuesdayEve (Nov 21, 2017)

Darrens' Sonnet


oh Be my HEART for ME when IT stops BEA-ting
my LUNGS to BREATHE thin AIR PAIN-ful-ly CHILL

my FEET to DANCE the WORLD while I am LIV-ing
as THEY still WANT...or...AS they still WANT 
but NOW no LONG-er WILL

be MY two ARMS and TUG me IN our TANG-go
fla-MEN-co PAL-o WRAP your WINGS a-ROUND
my LITHE frame CHANT me OUR con-CLU-ding CAN-to

with ALL the STRENGTH in US you're SOME-how FOUND


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## Darren White (Nov 21, 2017)

TuesdayEve said:


> as THEY still WANT...or...AS they still WANT



Oh, that's great, thank you.
Don't you like it how it is possible to have arguments over certain lines? (Not you and I, but I mean in general), because you rightfully remark here that it depends on how you read it.
To be honest I do think that the second option is probably the best one


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## TuesdayEve (Nov 21, 2017)

I agree, I also like the second version better
While reading the sonnet, I thought of your accent, my accent and several other accents
The most interesting though was pig latin
It was a fun little exercise that helped keep me on track with iambic pen, good idea thanks
Also, try reading it from the bottom up, last line first, tell me what you think


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## Sara Ella (Nov 22, 2017)

[FONT=&Verdana]Hello Darren   Boy was this a cool process.  Easy, I thought - the words are already there.  Well, now I am reading out loud and trying to keep a natural stress on the syllables which of course means that I over think it.  This is not easy!  So, here it goes: 

Oh SIT with ME and REmiNISCE those DANces—[/FONT]
pure, PERfect PASsion, SMILE and LIFT your HEAD,
obSERVE ilLUmiNATed SKIES abOVE you.
We'll MEET aGAIN, we'll WALTZ soon IN atLANtis.
With YOU here, THERE is NOTHing that I dread ...or... THAT i DREAD,
[FONT=&Verdana]do NOT be SAD, this is NOT an Adieu ...or... THIS is NOT an aDIEU

[/FONT][FONT=&Verdana]We talked about how to pronounce Atlantis and how it changes rhyme but that is another discussion or is it.  When I say adieu and I do not know French very well, I stress the second syllable.  Do you?

Maybe this is why Shakespeare is studied so much - we need to learn his actual language.

Thank you so much again for the wonderful instruction.  It is always fun to learn something new. [/FONT]


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