I need some guidance with iambic pentameter written poems

Submitted by Intelligent_Head_214 t3_11lpbko in books

I’ve researched the concept: 10 syllables, 5 feet, and two syllables coupled in a de-dum rhythm.

Got it…in theory. In practice I can’t feel the de-dum rhythm and it takes me out of what I’m reading because I know I’m messing up and not appreciating the material. For example, Lost Paradise by Milton is considered the bees knees right? Well…I’m not seeing that right now because of my mental handicap. I even had the bright idea to write a poem myself in hopes of getting the rhythm to click and that’s working about as well as you’d expect if you’ve so happened to read this far down.

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AnotherWeirdLemur t1_jbdmn09 wrote

The trick for this is simple once you see / it’s all about conforming to the flow / of normal English speech, which has a pulse / of stressed and unstressed syllables which can, / by careful choice of words and phrases be / contained within this metric scheme for long / and drawn out passages that ebb and flow, / with sentences that never seem to end.

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AnotherWeirdLemur t1_jbdnb1i wrote

In all seriousness though, the “de-dum, de-dum, de-dum, de-dum” is supposed to act like the background pulse while the more dramatic emphases and variations cause the musical flow that makes writers like Milton and Shakespeare masters of iambic pentameter. The best way to improve your appreciation is to read them aloud or to find a high quality audiobook to listen to while you’re reading. Older texts can take a little more effort to get into but are really rewarding as well, so best of luck in your reading and enjoy!

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EarthFreq t1_jbe8cvt wrote

Iambic pentameter is not originally English.

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SweeneyLovett t1_jbdm1j7 wrote

The rhythm doesn’t have to be apparent when reading, it’s more subconscious. If you want a very clear representation of how it works, watch Kenneth Branagh’s film adaptation of Love’s Labour’s Lost. There’s a scene where he taps out the iambic pentameter, then speaks over the tapping while exaggerating the da-dum rhythm, then continues to speak the text normally. It really showcases how it works, in my opinion.

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guccigenshin t1_jbdn93h wrote

are you reading it out loud by any chance? my experience w/ iambic is only shakespeare and afaik the dramatic effect of iambic doesn't come through until an actor/reader delivers it appropriately. when i was taught shakespeare, the goal wasn't to read it to yourself but to feel how it sounds when it's spoken aloud, and the dramatic (or comical) effect it creates when the rhythm (or lack of, as he often omitted on purpose) punctuates a moment

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Intelligent_Head_214 OP t1_jbdw7v0 wrote

I was reading Lost Paradise to my wife out loud and she was saying it made sense but while I was reading it I felt like I was messing up. Milton hated rhyming so his version is no rhyme and apparently lines can flow into the next line and the next line and the next so I wasn’t sure if I was reading it aloud properly

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lxm333 t1_jbdmerh wrote

Shakespeare used iambic pentameter quite a bit (from memory I believe mainly if not exclusively for characters of noble standing but I could be mistaken here). Just in case you want some reference material to help.

Think heartbeat if that helps.

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tomandshell t1_jbdlxjt wrote

Ozymandias by Shelley

The rhythm’s there, not always in your face. Some subtlety can make it hard to spot—unless you’re used to clapping every line. That’s what I make my freshmen do in class. No matter what I try, some still get stuck. On YouTube, there’s a video that helps: “I am a Pirate With a Wooden Leg.”

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avidreader_1410 t1_jbeg3a7 wrote

Read it like prose, not poetry - follow the punctuation not the da-dum, da-dum

Try Ozymandius, by Shelly or the sonnets of Edna St. Vincent Millay

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pandabranch t1_jbfmarb wrote

Excellent advice so far, the only thing I would add is that the de/dum rhythm isn't always consistent within a line.

Lines can be 9/11 syllables and some feet may not conform to iambic metre - they might be trochaic for instance. There are certain feet that have to be iambic for the metre to work. I think they are 2/3/5 but my memory fails me slightly.

This might cause you a bit of difficulty when you are exaggerating the rhythm.

Another point is that different accents can add or subtract syllables from a word. In Milton's time some of the words will have been pronounced differently and this can cause difficulty for a modern reader.

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chortlingabacus t1_jbgthzr wrote

It doesn't matter. There's no such thing as 'messing up' one's reading. Just read on and take in what Milton has to say. You don't have a good ear. but so what? in fact, maybe you've simply no sense of rhythm but again, so what? There's no entrance exam on pentameters you must pass before you're allowed to read a poem. Trying to hear what you can't will only lessen whatever reward you might get from it.

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