IAMBIC PENTAMETER

IAMBIC PENTAMETERSounds BIG and SCA ry, BUT what DOES it

MEAN?

Numerical Prefixes

• UNIcycle = • BIcycle = • TRIangle = • QUADrilateral =

•PENTAgon =• HEXAgon =

Iambic Pentameter

• IAMB = metrical FOOT with one unstressed

syllable and a 2nd STRESSED syllable.• PENTA = FIVE!

1 2 3

4 5Five Feet!

WHY did Shakespeare use iambic pentameter?

• To show emotion or importance

• Shakespeare was meant to be heard! It made it easier for the audience to follow the lines.

• It helped the actors to memorize their lines.

• It made sure that the actors emphasized the words Shakespeare wanted to emphasize.

Watch where your stressed syllables fall…

• As YOU can SEE it’s NOT that HARD to LEARN.

• You CAN see it’s not THAT hard TO learn THIS.

• Which sounds better??• But I am GIV ing YOU a BET ter CAR.

• I AM giv ING you A bet TER car TOO.

Living iambic pentameterDO!

In sooth I know not why I am so sad.

It wearies me, you say it wearies you

And such a want-wit sadness makes of me

That I have much ado to know myself.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArrR66OSa0Q

Five (PENTA) feet (IAMBS) = IAMBIC PENTAMETER!

• As YOU can SEE it’s NOT that HARD to LEARN.

• You CAN see it’s not THAT hard TO learn THIS.

• You CAN write JUST like SHAKE speare DID back THEN.

• Did YOU know THAT I’m WRITing LIKE that NOW?

• And IT gets EA si ER the MORE you TRY.

• I AMB ic PEN ta ME ter’s NOT that BAD!

Homework

• Write 5 lines in iambic pentameter about yourself – ON YOUR INDEX CARD!

• Write your name on your card to be collected, but DO NOT include your name IN the poem so we can guess who wrote it.