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.
