Shakespeare’s
Use of Language
Poetry vs. Prose
• Shakespeare wrote in Poetry and Prose
• Poetry = rhythmic literary work; verse
• Prose = the ordinary form of written
language, without rhythmic structure
Blank Verse
• Blank Verse is the type of poetry
Shakespeare used.
• Blank Verse is written using a
rhythmic structure called Iambic
Pentameter.
Iambic Pentameter
The meaning of Iambic:
• An “Iamb” consists of two syllables
• The first syllable is unstressed (it sounds softer)
• The second syllable is stressed (it sounds stronger)
Finding Iambs
• To locate Iambs, first separate every two syllables
within a line of blank verse:
IAMB!
Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s day?
IAMB!
IAMBS!
• Each set of two syllables is called an iamb.
Unstressed and Stressed
• Each Iamb contains one unstressed and one
stressed syllable.
• Unstressed syllables are marked with a U
• Stressed syllables are marked with a /
• Iambic Pentameter sounds like…
Marking Iambs
U
/
U
/
U
/
U
/
U
/
Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s day?
Iambic Pentameter
• Pentameter refers to the number of Iambs in a line.
• “Penta” means 5
• Each line in Blank Verse has five iambs
Iambic Pentameter!
5 Iambs!
Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s day?
Sonnets vs. Plays
Shakespeare used rhymed iambic pentameter to
write sonnets.
Shakespeare mostly used unrhymed iambic
pentameter (known as blank verse) to write his
plays.
Sometimes Shakespeare changes the meter to
emphasize an idea or line.
Let’s Review…
Overview
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Iambic
Stressed
Unstressed
Pentameter
Blank Verse