Any tips for maintaining iambic pentameter?

Question

I can't seem to do it.

Answer 1

Iambic feet are not difficult. You are over thinking it.



Even the best poets with the best poems usually didn't maintain it throughout the entire verse. It is not necessary.



Do your best and the best way to learn how to do anything right is to read a lot of what has come before you. Basically, when I realized that all metered poetry really was... consisted of changing the words to someone elses poem... I began writing Prose.



It's all just a bunch of rehashed antique Weird Al yankovick in poetic form...



An Iamb is a metrical foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable or symbolically, a little scoop and then a forward slash. (as I do not have a little scoop on my keyboard) an example of a word that is Iambic is defeat. De feat.



It follows the natural pattern of all English words and phrases... How can you say that it's hard?



To wake / the soul / by tender strokes / of art

To raise / the genius / and to mend / the heart

To make / Mankind / in conscious virtue bold

live o ^re / each scene / and be / what they behold



Pentameter is a five foot line. and yet again, the basic line in much of English verse.



It's not too hard if you think about it.

Answer 2

Well, first of all,



When writing poetry, do you already know what you want to say, and have you written it down in any other form, besides Iambic Pentameter?



A good start is to have the ideas expressed as lines of prose, and then you can look closely at what you wish to say, whether the rhythm of the spoken or narrated language fits the ides, and possibly, what rhymes may fit, and where.



This is just the preparation. You should have a dictionary, and a thesaurus, and a rhyming dictionary, and an encyclopedia available if you aren't comfortable, and you get stuck.



Reading words, and definitions, and rhymes, seems to help some people get in the mood for writing, as does listening to percussion or rhythmical music.



But once you follow all these little hints and bits of advice, you still need to write the lines. That is why I suggested having your ideas written out in prose.



Then you can write them out in free verse, which has no meter or rhymes, and break the lines where they seem most interesting or rhythmic.



Perhaps you can then try Blank Verse, which was Shakespeare's specialty; unrhymed Iambic Pentameter. The rhythm of English speech falls nicely into this form.



After these rewrites, or perhaps you'd call them practice poems, you can start writing the rhyming lines in Iambic Pentameter.



And, if you have read the rhyme books, written your ideas two or three different ways, and played with numerous synonyms and antonyms; why then, you should be ready to rhyme to your hearts content.



Good poetry takes time, effort, love of the language and respect for the expressive forms. Iambic Pentameter is the basic form in English, and as you get it, you'll gain more insight into writing other forms.



Press on, poet, and Good Luck!

Answer 3

Well, English is a language that is a "natural" for iambic pentameter. Something about it sort of falls into it, so you are ahead right there.



Keep in mind that the stress scheme is:

-- / -- / -- / -- / -- /



Here is a sentence: Is this the face that launched a thousands ships? When you just say it, it seems to be just a sentence, but it is in iambic pentameter.



But it seems that your problem is that some of the sentences or parts thereof don't seem iambic pentameter unless you force the stress or overlook the fact that some sentences that can be forced into iambic stress don't really work that way. That is because some words are normally stressed in a sentence, when the iambic stress scheme requires in that place an unstressed word or syllable. In the example from a post above, there is the sentence, "My special toy looks like a red balloon." But although this can be read with iambic stress, it is not a natural - in real speech, we stress looks, not like. We tend to break it up this way: My SPE cial TOY LOOKS like a RED bal LOON. Because we usually say LOOKS like a..., not looks LIKE a.... And that breaks up the stress scheme.



So you must ensure that the sentence or part of a sentence uses words that lend themselves to the stress scheme.



So you can just say the line you have written as if you were speaking to somebody over the phone or over coffee. If it "flows" then you've got it.

Answer 4

How To Write Iambic Pentameter

Answer 5

The best iambic pentameter is not perfect--it breaks the rhythm occasionally or enjambs lines. So yeah look at some really good stuff, like Shakespeare. Then write down what you want to say in the poem, break that into lines with roughly 10 syllables each. Then relax and see where the natural stresses fall. You may have to adjust a word or two, but I bet most of it falls right into place.

Answer 6

Firstly, say the words aloud, making sure that the cadence or rhythm of sounds follow the stressed/unstressed syllable pattern. Other than that, I suppose it just takes some getting used to, and perhaps a little practice and patience. Using iambic pentameter is supposed to be difficult anyways so that it shows a true representation of talent and creativity, while still having a strict limitation in terms of structure placed on the poet. Thanatopsis by William Bryant is a good poem to look at for examples, as well as some stuff by William Shakespeare, if you are in need of some ideas. The best advice I can give, as I mentioned, is to count the syllables out on your fingers first, then make sure it follows the pattern of stressed/ unstressed. Try switching words around or inverting sentences, it sometimes helps. Good luck.

Answer 7

Poetry in motion..... iambic pentameter is somewhat difficult to maintain if your vocabulary is large and filled with words that do not have that particular rhythm.



Short poems are best - try writing, or speaking, sentences that fit into the iambic pentameter mode. You probably have a theme or an idea you are attempting to present in a poetic form, no? I suggest writing down the single words that you want to include in your poem. If the words do not have the iambic pentameter cadence, then you will have to discard them.



Get out books of poetry that you enjoy. Are these written in iambic pentameter? Why do you like these poems? See how other poets have managed to produce poetry while restricting what they produce to a single kind of rhythm.



(sing to the tune "Summertime")



Summertime !-!

In the middle of winter. --!--!-

In Christiansted, -!-!

We are having some fun. --!-!-

No ice, no snow -!-!

And the sun is out shining. --!--!-

So put on your suit and -!--!-

Snorkle there with me. !-!-!



see? I can't maintain iambic pentameter, either.

Answer 8

This answer's not the "best" by any stretch,

but it does add a good piece of advice

to the great answers already on here:

Don't fret too much over rigid metre!

Quite often, one iamb out of a line

will be replaced with a trochaic foot--

and other substitutions can occur.



Consider the famous line from Hamlet:

"To be, or not to be-- that is the question:"



In strictest terms, this line doesn't quite fit:

An extra unstressed syllable (the "-tion")

is metrically jarring and out of place.

This doesn't seem to bother Shakespeare much--

instead, he lets his words speak for him first,

And doesn't let the metre stress him out.

Remember that, in general, it works

because iambic pentameter tries

to match the rhythm of spoken English.

Keep at it, and you'll find before too long,

Iambic pentameter is easy:

Just look at how much of it I wrote here!

Answer 9

iambic pentameter (eye-am-bik pen-tam-uh-tuhr)



The most common meter in English verse. It consists of a line ten syllables long that is accented on every second beat. These lines in iambic pentameter are from The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare. Perhaps checking out the Merchant of Venice might give you some examples.





Ĭ.

Answer 10

Lord Byron used to take a prescription of opium and alcohol for the last part of his life. He was on it when he wrote the poem about the ice castle in the sky. He passed out before he could finish it so the poem remains unfinished to this day. Oops, I forgot that the romantic poets didn't follow iambic pentameter but I know a lot of poets rely heavily on drugs and alcohol for inspiration. You should try getting really drunk and high to write poetry like the all time greats. Good Luck.

Answer 11

This doesn't seem to bother Shakespeare much--

instead, he lets his words speak for him first,

And doesn't let the metre stress him out.

Remember that, in general, it works

because iambic pentameter tries

to match the rhythm of spoken English.

Keep at it, and you'll find before too long,

Iambic pentameter is easy:

Just look at how much of it I wrote here!

Answer 12

Iambic pentameter is basically a ten syllable line with the accent on each even numbered syllable.



Say this line out loud:



Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth.



The meter of the pentameter should sound like that when you are dome creating it.



It has a musical lilt to it when repeated.



If you use the 'Macbeth' rhythm while writing, it should help.

Answer 13

Whenever I have to write something in iambic pentameter (it's not my preferred way of writing, let me tell you that), it always helps me to say it out loud. Iambic pentameter is often a human's natural rhythm, so it should come fairly easily if you don't overthink it. Try reading a few Shakespeare sonnets out loud to get you in the groove of things, then let your imagination go.

Answer 14

Review Shakepeare! Shakespeare was the master of Iambic Pentameter and will definitely give you some great ideas on how to proceed. His Sonnets and Comedies are a classic example...



-Michael

Answer 15

Iambic pentameter comes right from your heart beat. First, put your hand on your heart, then read a line of Iambic pentameter (almost all of Shakespeare's verse is written in this form) and tap your chest on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th syllables. The pattern is 5 iambs, or "da DA"s. It sounds like this... "da DA da DA da DA da DA da DA"



Here is an example from "Twelfth Night". say the following phrase and say the syllables in capital letters loudly and the other syllables softly. the line is: if MUsic BE the FOOD of LOVE, play ON..

Answer 16

Poetry is a natural gift, a talent born with it, either you have it or you don't; like great dancers, pianists, stage actors, writers, composers, architects, painters, sculptors, virtuosos, etc. If you were to be a natural born poet, you wouldn't have to be asking for tips on iambic pentameters. There are POETS and people who try to write like a poet. Think about it!

Answer 17

RE:

Any tips for maintaining iambic pentameter?

I can't seem to do it.

Answer 18

William Shakespeare wrote poetry and drama in iambic pentameter. His Sonnet XVIII: “Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?” is go deeper to the root. I think he talk about the queen of England, but I could be wrong. I think he says something like, “Summer season will always come every year and stay forever, so long lives the queen and may a beautiful summer’s day gives wonderful life to you.”

For anyone to understand all these old poems, a person have to go beyond the meaning, to the root of where they were original from. We have to go to, “What is this English man talking about?” Just keep work on it with dictionary to get the meaning of it. You will make it.

Answer 19

Think of the percussion that uses iambic pentameter. Alot of calypso, cha-cha and rumba use it in various ways.



(by the way, a metrenome is absolutely useless to practice iambic pentameter)



Usually expressed on a wood block, ta ta ta ta ta

Get the beat and then try and put your words together.

Answer 20

Try listening to the blues - Much of this kind of music is in iambic pentameter.

Answer 21

If iambs are the only way to go,

relentless meter all that will suffice,

then try the trick I've used; perhaps you'll find

It helps, along with everyone's advice.



Write longhand, tap your meter with the hand

that's free from pen or pencil. Scan *each line*

by saying it aloud and tapping twice

on ev'ry finger, emphasis and time.



Now, listen! Scan each each line as it goes down,

resisting all temptation to proceed.

Your meter will keep lockstep with your hand

And poetry be very swell indeed.

Answer 22

Read The Prologue to Canterbury Tales by Chaucer. However read it and memorize in OLD ENGLISH. Memorize a few verses. You will then have the beat.



It is very sad that some people don't have a clue as to what you are talking about. It is ever worse that they are too damn lazy to use the dictionary to find out. Oh well, "Ignorance is bliss." or then again maybe not. Good Luck!

Answer 23

Iambic pentameter is a poetry term.

Answer 24

I find it easier to use a yellow pad and paper than to type.



Write the line, say it to yourself, mark the stressed syllables. I use an accent mark on them, but you could underline. If it isn't iambic p., change the line; move the words around or use different ones.



id LIKE to WALK, HAND in HAND

doesn't work, so



i'd LOVE to TAKE your HAND in MINE, to WALK

the FRAGrant PATH . . .



If you're doing a sonnet, it could take you as many as 14 hours to do 14 lines, if you haven't done many.

Answer 25

get a loud cheap clickety click watch friend

and sit back and enjoy.

eventually learning what iambic pentameter is by every lost nation and following suit on languagee sustained by yourself and enjoyed ones at poetry integrated mediums of communication.

not every last, my word is just thus...

Answer 26

O no are we talking bout math again...I"M GONNA FAIL IT IF WE ARE! But if it's books yea I might help ya. Keep the story line thorugh don't make any sudden mistakes or stuff that gets someone off the subject real easily, and also try your best to prove your points in every single word you type\say.

Answer 27

You know limerick???? The rhyme of the common folk joke.....The third sentence in the rhyme, is being separated in two by a comma. making the fourth line , the fifth in the cadence ...... Shame you didn't write the poem down, so I'd be able to break it down into the melody for you, because whatever scheme, it depends on the meaning f the words, where the melodic emphasis of the line has to come when you recite it....

Answer 28

I had to do this for english 1 class. The quickest way, in my mind, it is make a graph or chart dividing the page into ten places, with the nescessary amount of lines. mark an x over the columns that are stressed, and leave the others blank for unstressed. then, pen in the syllables. it makes them easier to check, easier to read, and quicker to write- you don't have to count syllables, just fill them in until the line is full.

Answer 29

I think it is more important that the work have a certain rhythm and flow to it rather than a strict syllable/ stress count. If it doesn't quite fit the pattern, but still feels right, leave it and move on. Read it aloud to feel the rhythm.

Answer 30

what always helps me is to read a lot of shakespearean sonnets [in general] since he always used iambic pentameter. it gets easier with practice.

Answer 31

Best of luck. Like anything, it mostly takes practice.



But, if you can get the rhythm into your head, it will help immensely. Just try to get that daDAH,daDAH,daDAH,daDAH,daDAH stuck there like any annoying commercial jingle.



You can practice with 1syllable words first b/c then you can place the stresses where you want them.



I HAVE a FRIEND that LIKES to JUMP and PLAY.



2 syllable words can be the next step. Slightly harder b/c there is already a natural stress in the word. (Look it up in the dictionary to find the stressed syllable if you are unsure.)



My SPECial TOY looks LIKE a RED balLOON.



Keep in mind that you have poetic license here. You can squish some syllables (pronouncing FAV-O-RITE as FAV'RITE, etc.)



Take your time and have fun!



Good luck.

Answer 32

Iambic Pentameter is a 5 beat rhythmical pattern with Stressed and UNSTRESSED syllables or words.

some great examples that will help you are:

1)Snow White Song:



High Ho High Ho Its

Off To Work We Go



2) Try any of Shakespeare's plays.

like ROMEO AND JULIET



But Soft! What Light Through

Yonder Window Breaks

It is the East and

Jul-iet is the sun.

Answer 33

when i had to write a sonnet for english class, hitting the table or clapping my hands on the stressed syllables worked for me to maintain the rhythm. If the line sounds weird, try using synonyms or switching the order of the words. Hope that helps!

Answer 34

Just listen to stuff that uses it a lot and practice with it. at first you will be crap for sure (we were crap at walkin when we started lol) but you'll soon get the hang of it. It may also help to change your attitude of "I can't seem to do it" as it may be slowing you down a little in your progress. Keep positive and don't get down on yourself.

Answer 35

If you're having trouble recognizing the stress of words than use a dictionary to double check. Sometimes when you say a word too many times you kinda confuse yourself.

Answer 36

An artist doesn't force art to make it fit a pattern, much of what we call writing rules are just a general set of rules put together by a panel of so called expert writers that seem to be politically correct, just like the DSM or Psychiatry's handbook is put together by a so called panel of expert psychiatrist and really has little real meaning or validity in reality. Some few have gotten together and bastardized our language into some kinds of so called groupings in order to so call legitimize it. This made it easier to "grade" and to "judge" by a classroom teacher, not to write, appreciate, or understand.



So yes there are some good suggestions here on how to force a poem into a so called style, but yet this does not create real art. Those that used this style were use to it, and it was so called normal for them at the time, and they did it well.



Most great poets had no formal training in poetry per say, they loved words and they loved language and they loved expression or the ability to say things in ways that others did not know quite exactly what they were talking about and yet could universally understand it as well.



I suggest not using force in writing or assisting people with emotional issues either, but taking what is there and making it into something of quality, meaning, and beauty even if it is done the free verse kind of way. Does that make any sense?

Answer 37

Read The Merchant of Venice.

Answer 38

Yeah...don't worry about it. It's not important. Focus on learning

other things like math or science. These are far more useful to

your life.

Answer 39

If you have trouble staying with the beat,

Try writing while your partner taps her feet.

And ev'ry time she get to number five

Hit 'Enter" just to keep the thing alive.



You'll find you've got the perfect set of iambs

To complement your nicely crafted rhymes.

Hit "enter" twice each time you get to twenty;

Repeat two times, I think that will be plenty.

Answer 40

I think you take the third and last word first and put words into a sentence. It's the poetic form used in Haiku. A very refined form of Japanese poetry.

Answer 41

I had to write a story and chose to write it in iambic pentameter and rhyme it with couplets so that was quite the challenge. For me, the words would come to me, you really have to twist the words around in the lines to get them to fit right. I always kept a thesaurus and dictionary around so i could find words with less/more syllables and kept the dictionary to make sure the words were the right syllables. I suggest reading some poetry that is in iambic pentameter like shakespeare or chaucer. I had read chaucer's canterbury tales before i had written my story so i had the beat down in my head (how my lines would have to sound). What i also did was hold my hands out and count the syllables as i was thinking out how my line would be written. As you keep writing more, it will become easier. good luck.

Answer 42

Get an iron clad prenump before you get married. Let him know right from the start it's your way or the highway. You have to let them know you're the boss right off the bat.

Answer 43

Hi.

Classical Greek poetry, in which an iamb consisted of a short syllable followed by a long syllable, also an iamb refers to an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. *These are rules that must be remembered*. Its hard to explain so please go to the below link. It has lots of examples.

Answer 44

Every once in a while, you may have to stretch 1 syllable into two.

Answer 45

Iambic pentameter is quite difficult, isn't it?



I have the most success when I work on the stresses of the syllables, then worry about the five "feet" of the line last.



For example, the first line of one of my sonnets:



"The blazing sugar maples, large like oaks"...



The iambic part, of course, is the stress on the second half of the foot:



"the BLAZ / ing SU /gar MA /ples LARGE / like OAKS"



Iambic pentameter is tough. All I can suggest is keep trying.



Good luck!

Answer 46

Are you using the right tools? Sears is having a sale on Craftsman, maybe you should stock up. Always use the right tools for the job.

Answer 47

Listen (on audio) to sonnets, or read them aloud. You'll absorb the rhythms and be able to apply them. Meter shouldn't be perfect or it becomes singsong and boring. Write a lot!

Answer 48

Count syllables and pay special attention to the emphasis of those syllables

Answer 49

Play Bach's symphony in b flat.

Answer 50

Write what you want to say. When you fall off meter, break out the thesaurus.

Answer 51

You can try your best, but don't be too strict if it limits your artistic abilities.



Even William Shakespeare and Frost didn't stick to it. 8-12 syllables is usually okay.

Answer 52

I agree with Nikki6

Answer 53

speeking or writing. best thing you can do is practice....set up an amopunt of time each day that you allow your self to work on the timing.

Answer 54

my percussion instructor always teaches me to put the rythym I am practicing to words. so i would assume, try to do it the other way around. put your words in to a 10 beat rythym.

Answer 55

Think of Dr. Suess

Answer 56

A good set of tools and a shop manual should do the trick. ;-)

Answer 57

You know I don't know what this question means...



How's that?

Answer 58

tapping your foot works and writing when to put stress on certian syllables

Answer 59

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/avn1U



Sorry, my friend, I only do dactyl hexameter.

Answer 60

Read up on your Shakespeare

Answer 61

I wish that I could tell you what to do

But haven't got a clue on it myself

Yes these few rules perhaps will be of help:

Jump in, make sense, and then follow the beat

The least of it, if ever, is to rhyme.



Try this -- two beats in front of each of these:

And as we wind on down the road

Our shadows taller than our souls

There walks a lady we all know

Who shines white light and wants to show

How everything still turns to gold

And if you listen very hard

The tune will come to you at last

When all are one and one is all

To be a rock and not to roll



See if that helps. Methinks that it just might.

Answer 62

If the text you write doesn't 'fit' into the iambic parameter, try fitting in pronouns or other one-syllable words.

e.g.:

WAtching the SKY full of BIRDS. has 3 'feet'.

WAtching the BLUE sky TEEming aLIve with BIRDS. has 5 'feet'.

Answer 63

It depends

Answer 64

I agree with Nikki6 (with a little change):



It gets you in the groove, it's fun, you know!



(Get it?)

Answer 65

i saw now your question on Iambic pentametre.

And lots of answers are there.

Is your problem solved? or still it seems difficult to you?

It is not difficult. But it will take a little time to get used to it. after that iambic pentametre will flow out of our senses like the music of Shelley's skylark. As he says 'in profuse strains of unpremeditated art.

Here is are a couple of lines...

'The curfew tolls the knell of parting day

The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea.'



These two lines are in perfect iambic. You know in iambic the unstress-stress pattern is like this.

unstress-stress-unstress-stress and so on...

when we read a line, we must read it giving the stress according to the pattern.

The cur/few tolls the knell of part/ing day

when you read the line, give huge stresses to cur, tolls, knell, part, day.

and read the next line like that

The low/ing herd wind slow/ly o'er the lea

ok? I think you read it as i said.

well! :) half our journey to iampic penta metre is over now.

The next thing you have to do is to write a line of your own. be careful that the line must have 10 syllables.

now try to read the line as you read the above mentioned two lines. Could you follow the same unstress-heavy stress tone!

you may not be! but you could easily distinguish at what places you must bring a change to get that tune, that rhythm.

go on praticing this. You shall in a month or two become a master of iambic pentametre and become the sweet poet of this century!

Without rythm and rhyme poetry can't be sweet. Modern poets may argue that poetry need no strict rhyme and rhythm.

But the first poem they learnt and still remember may surely be

Twinkle twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high

Like a diamond in the sky.

Ann taylor's masterpiece in trochaic metre and couplet rhyming.

And these modern poets fail to remember even their own lines.



My friend, I wish you all the best!

by

A poet unknown

Answer 66

A very, very large vocabulary!

Answer 67

Just keep counting your syllables and you'll find that it gets easier as you progress.

Answer 68

try keeping a beat out loud or by tapping ur foot or nodding ur head. or simply by hitting one key on a piano over and over to get the feel of the rhythm.

Answer 69

You need a good metric hex wrench

Answer 70

Try tapping your foot to the beat that should help you out. Good Luck!!!

Answer 71

read a lot of completed works if you give me something to start off with in additional details i can help you finish it except for spelling and grammer and make it sound good really you should see some of my work just because you did not write it all does not mean anything i can put words together really well and as far as i care it's all yours i will check back to see if you gave me a few lines to start with give me an idea of what you want it to be about a general idea i feel when you get some more pratice you will get the hang of it

Answer 72

very carefully

Answer 73

A word about Museeker:

He's packed with erudition --

a sometimes tongue-in-cheeker,

crusader on a mission;

a knowledgeable, generous,

good-humored word magician --

we're lucky when he'll mentor us

in technical tradition!

Answer 74

try to keep a beat or rhym to it. thats how it helps me. it shouldn't be that hart because i did it not to long ago with sonnet form.

Answer 75

i did it once. it was difficult, but i got it.

keep trying...

Answer 76

wth

Answer 77

iambic tetrameter is way more rhythmic shorter with deeper meaning per sequence.

Answer 78

iambic pentameter (famous from Shakespeare's sonnets) is basically 5 beats i.e. 10 syllables per line. So it really isn't that hard all you have to do is keep 10 syllables per line and then your good.

Answer 79

MN

Answer 80

I suggest u use a book which formally trains you

Answer 81

try using a metronome...it helps me keep the beat while playing my violin...it's pretty much the same basic principle.

Answer 82

NOPE, NONE!

Answer 83

Read a lot of Dr.Seuss... it'll get you in the groove. and it's fun :)

Answer 84

What the F are you talking about?

Answer 85

Ha...Bill S, you're funny!

Answer 86

elevate it regularly over its normal parabollic juxtaposition and dont inculcate any wedge shaped grusononetrical legumes.

Answer 87

DA/dum DA/dum DA/dum DA/dum DA/dum

Answer 88

Fertilize well, don't overwater, and get regular oil changes.