Question

What is the importance of iambic pentameter?

Question 1 options:

it tells the rhyme scheme of the poem


it reveals the meaning of the poem


it suggests the speaker of the poem


it explain the rhythm of the poem

Answer 1

The answer is the fourth option: it explains the rhythm of the poem.

Rhythm, in terms of poetry, is expressed through stressed and unstressed syllables. In poetry, iamb is defined as a foot or a beat. It consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Penta- means five, so if a line of poetry is written in iambic pentameter it would have 5 feet of unstressed and stressed syllables alternating.