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Shakespearean meter

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Iambic pentameter as used in Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, characterized by ten syllables per line with unstressed-stressed pairs

Detailed Definition
Shakespearean meter typically refers to flexible iambic pentameter—ten syllables alternating unstressed and stressed—but includes variations like feminine endings, trochaic substitutions, and mid-line pauses; this supple rhythm supports dramatic speech, emotional nuance, and rhetorical complexity in sonnets and plays alike.
Example
Example in poetry:
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” in iambic pentameter; Blank verse in “Hamlet”: “To be, or not to be—that is the question”; Consistent da-DUM rhythm across lines; Use of feminine endings and metrical variation within strict iambic framework
Additional Notes
Shakespearean meter typically refers to iambic pentameter with occasional variations; note his use of feminine endings, trochaic substitutions, and mid-line pauses for dramatic effect.
Also Known As
iambic pentameter blank verse rhythm Elizabethan meter heroic line Blank verse meter Shakespearean blank verse
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