Iamb

An iamb is a metrical foot used in formal poetry. It is characterised by a short (unstressed) syllable followed by a long (stressed) one. The opposite is a trochee, which is characterised by a long syllable followed by a short one.

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Iambic pentameter is one of the most powerful measures in English and German poetry.

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Non-bold = short syllable

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Bold = long syllable

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Examples:

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:To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. – Alfred Tennyson

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And:

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:Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? – William Shakespeare

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Metrical foot: REDIRECT Foot (prosody)...

Poetry: Poetry (ancient Greek: ????? (poieo) = I create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. It consists largely of oral or literary works in which language is used in a manner that is felt by its user...

Trochee: A trochee is a metrical foot used in formal poetry. It consists of a long syllable followed by a short one....