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.

Related Topics:
Metrical foot - Poetry - Short (unstressed) syllable - Long (stressed) - Trochee

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

Related Topics:
Iambic pentameter - English - 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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