
Poetstrain Homepage Poetry Forms Handbook: Introduction Glossary of Poetry Terms Meter Iamb Iambic Pentameter Rhyme scheme Couplet Stanza Alliteration Pun Sensory Language Imagery Simile Metaphor Types of Poetry Acrostic Ballad Blank verse Cinquain Diamante Epic poem Free Verse Haiku Limerick Ode Pantoum Quatrain Senryu Shape poetry Sonnet Tanka Villanelle Conclusion Practice: Try Out What You've Learned At The Poetry Forum!	Iamb An iamb is a pair of one unstressed syllable and one stressed (emphasized or important) syllable (as in the words today, because, or to be). Much of English speech follows this general rhythm. It is also the pattern for a metrical foot used in various types of poetry. In English verse, it refers to a foot (see meter for definition of feet within a line of poetry) comprising of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. We could describe an iamb as a foot that goes like this: da DUM Again we can see an example of iambs in the folowing poem: My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathèd enemy. -- William Shakespeare, from Romeo and Juliet

Poetstrain
Homepage

Poetry Forms
Handbook:

forms of poetry book

Introduction

Glossary of Poetry Terms

Meter
Iamb
Iambic Pentameter
Rhyme scheme
Couplet
Stanza
Alliteration
Pun
Sensory Language
Imagery
Simile
Metaphor

Types of Poetry

Acrostic
Ballad
Blank verse
Cinquain
Diamante
Epic poem
Free Verse
Haiku
Limerick
Ode
Pantoum
Quatrain
Senryu
Shape poetry
Sonnet
Tanka
Villanelle

Conclusion

Practice:

Try Out What
You've Learned
At The Poetry Forum!

Iamb

An iamb is a pair of one unstressed syllable and one stressed (emphasized or important) syllable (as in the words today, because, or to be). Much of English speech follows this general rhythm.

It is also the pattern for a metrical foot used in various types of poetry.

In English verse, it refers to a foot (see meter for definition of feet within a line of poetry) comprising of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

We could describe an iamb as a foot that goes like this:

da DUM

Again we can see an example of iambs in the folowing poem:

My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me,
That I must love a loathèd enemy.

-- William Shakespeare,
from Romeo and Juliet