iambic - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about iambic Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,508,144,512 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

iambic

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.04 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 classic literature
 
It is unfortunately impossible to trace the plan of the poem, which presumably detailed the adventures of this unheroic character: the metre used was a curious mixture of hexametric and iambic lines.
Collection Of Hesiod, Homer and Homerica by Homer View in context
For there is no common term we could apply to the mimes of Sophron and Xenarchus and the Socratic dialogues on the one hand; and, on the other, to poetic imitations in iambic, elegiac, or any similar metre.
The Poetics of Aristotle by Aristotle View in context
, and in the last line the iambic pentameter gives place to an Alexandrine (an iambic hexameter).
A History of English Literature by Fletcher, Robert Huntington View in context
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.