iamb - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about iamb Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,760,069,653 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

iambic
(redirected from iamb)

    Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.02 sec.

iambic

In poetry, any verse metre in which the basic unit (the foot) consists of two syllables, the first unstressed, the second stressed. Iambic metre is close to natural speech and is one of the most widely used metres in English verse. The following example is a line from Thomas Gray's poem ‘Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard’ (1751). It has five iambic feet, and is thus in a form known as iambic pentameter. The cur / few tolls / the knell / of part / ing day

Iambic pentameter is the basis of blank verse, a form frequently used in Elizabethan drama.



How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
 Email
Feedback
?Sign in SSL protected
Email:
Password:
Register

? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
Some of us act like sacrificial Iambs when it comes to spending money, Boss says.
The money trap: according to one author, to gain financial freedom, ... by Edmond, Alfred A., Jr. / Black Enterprise
The IAMB bared its gums and refused to bark at the clear evidence of gross waste, mismanagement and corruption by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA).
Real scandal not Oil-for-Food, but CPA-administered Development Fund ... by Williams, Ian / Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
However, it is not natural at all to speak only in iambs, and any poetic convention inevitably results in awkward sentence construction with irregular placement of subjects, verbs, objects and modifiers, which must be sorted out to be understood.
Can't we read it out loud? The case for Shakespeare on audio by Levitov, Francine / Kliatt
More results
 
Hutchinson browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Hutchinson Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.