Iamb Examples

Iamb Examples Iamb An iamb is a group of two syllables in a line of poetry. The first syllable is not stressed, and the second syllable is stressed. There are different types of iambic poetry-depending on how many sets of iambs are in the line. For example, Shakespeare's sonnets are written in iambic pentameter-meaning there are five iambs in each line (or 10 syllables that alternate unstressed and then stressed). Examples of Iamb: To better show the iambs the syllables in each line that should be stressed are in bold, and the syllables are separated with dashes. From Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 Shall I com-pare thee to a sum-mer's day? Thou art more love-ly and more tem-per-ate. Rough winds do shake the dar-ling buds of May, And sum-mer's lease hath all too short a date. From Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" I wan-dered lone-ly as a cloud That floats on high o'er dale and hill When, all at once, I saw a crowd A host of gold-en daf-fo-dils. From Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" We romped un-til the pans Slid from the kitch-en shelf; My moth-er's count-e-nance Could not un-frown it-self.