pentameter

Pentameter is a metrical line of verse that contains five metrical feet. In English poetry the most common form is iambic pentameter, in which each line consists of five iambs—an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable—producing a typical ten-syllable line. This gives a rhythm described as da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM, though real lines often vary in stress patterns.

Variations are common in practice. A line may end with an extra unstressed syllable, known as a feminine ending. Poets may substitute different feet within the line, such as starting with a stressed syllable (initial inversion) or inserting a trochaic or other foot for effect. Substitutions and elisions can alter the regular pattern without abandoning the overall pentameter frame.

Use and significance: Iambic pentameter became the dominant English line for both dramatic and narrative poetry from the late medieval period onward. It is the standard meter of Shakespeare’s plays in blank verse and of many of his sonnets, as well as works by other poets such as Milton. It is also used in rhymed pairs known as heroic couplets. While iambic pentameter is by far the most prominent form in English, pentameter lines can be realized with other feet, though such varieties are less common in the English tradition.

Context and terminology: The term derives from Greek, with pente meaning five and metron meaning measure. In other languages, pentameter can describe lines with five feet even when the specific foot types differ.