Arts >> Books >> Poetry

How to Write an Iambic Verse

Before starting to write a verse in iambic meter, it is important to understand what the terms mean. In poetry, "meter" applies to the pattern of syllables in a line. An iamb is a meter of syllables, the first unstressed, the next stressed. Therefore, an iambic meter uses lines of a set number of syllables in an iambic form. The poem can use an iambic dimeter (two syllables), trimeter (three syllables), tetrameter (four syllables), pentameter (five syllables) and so on. The pentameter is the most common. For example, rhythm for a trimeter would go as follows: da DUM da DUM da DUM.

Instructions

    • 1

      Read aloud a poem that uses iambic verse to get the feel of how the rhythm flows.

    • 2

      Think about the theme of your poem and write down some ideas. Decide which meter you will use by determining how syllables you want per line.

    • 3

      Decide if you want to write a rhyming verse. For a traditional sonnet of iambic pentameter, such as those of William Shakespeare, use the rhyming pattern ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Each letter represents the last word of the line, which rhymes with its counterpart. For other meters, you can use a different rhyming pattern.

    • 4

      Ensure that each line follows the iambic form by reading your poem out loud, or marking the stress above the words.

+:
+:

Poetry

Related Categories