Simple Example
An iambic foot is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. The rhythm can be written as:
da DUMThe da-DUM of a human heartbeat is the most common example of this rhythm.
A standard line of iambic pentameter is five iambic feet in a row:
da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUMThe tick-TOCK rhythm of iambic pentameter can be heard in the opening line of Shakespeare's Sonnet 12:
- When I do count the clock that tells the time
It is possible to notate this with a "/" marking ictic syllables (experienced as beats) and a "×" marking nonictic syllables (experienced as offbeats). In this notation a standard line of iambic pentameter would look like this:
× / × / × / × / × /The following line from John Keats' To Autumn is a straightforward example:
- To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
The scansion of this can be notated as follows:
× / × / × / × / × / To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shellsRead more about this topic: Iambic Pentameter
Famous quotes containing the word simple:
“Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger. There is really nothing to be said about it. It is like the perfume of a rose: you can smell it and that is all.”
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965)
“Young children make only the simple assumption: “This is life—you go along....” He stands ready to go along with whatever adults seem to want. He stands poised, trying to figure out what they want. The young child is almost at the mercy of adults—it is so important to him to please.”
—James L. Hymes, Jr. (20th century)