The Heartbeat of Shakespeare: Iambic Pentameter and Trochee

Shakespeare writes in a combination of prose and poetry. Iambic pentameter is a poetic rhythm used almost all the time in Macbeth. If you count the syllables in Macbeth’s first lines, you can see how it works: ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen’ (Macbeth, 1:3).

Why did Shakespeare LOVE iambic pentameter?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5lsuyUNu_4&t=10s

An "iamb" is an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. "Penta" means "five," and "meter" refers to a regular rhythmic pattern. So "iambic pentameter" is a kind of rhythmic pattern that consist of five iambs per line. It's the most common rhythm in English poetry.

Check out when Lady Macbeth urges her husband to wash his hands after he has murdered King Duncan:

and WASH this FILthy WITness FROM your HAND.

Your Challenge

In a small group of 3-4, write a general statement or synopsis about the play Macbeth in iambic pentameter. Each sentence should have 5 stressed syllables preceded by 5 unstressed ones. Your group will be asked to read this aloud to the class. Take 10 minutes to compose and practice.

You might need to play around with the line breaks (see below) and you may wish to use end rhyme.

Example:

MacBETH's a VIolent SORT of PLAY no DOUBT

'Twas WRITten FOR King JAMES; The KING deTEST-

-ed WITCHes so SHAKESpeare USED hags for the FATES. We THINK

in FACT he FLATtered JAMES, who was FROM the BANQ-

-uo LINE; alTHOUGH the WORDS are TRICKy, MacBETH

has STOOD the TEST of TIME...

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Trochee for Earth Day

Trochaic tetrameter is a rapid meter of poetry consisting of four feet of trochees. A trochee is made up of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable (the opposite of an iamb). It has 8 syllables per line rather than the 10 in iambic pentameter. Here is the flow of a line of trochaic tetrameter:

BAboom / BAboom / BAboom / BAboom.

‘Double, double, toil and trouble: / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.’

(let's read together Act 4 Scene 1; pp. 189-93)

You hear trochee in a lot of Dr. Seuss writing, like:

Your Challenge

In honor of EARTH DAY, you are challenged with composing a trochee poem about a topic (s) related to Earth Day. You may work alone or with a partner and your poem should be at least 8 lines in length. You will be asked to read your verse aloud to the class (if working with a partner both parties can post to their respective blogs and you can split up the reading).

Step 1: Decide whether you want it to RHYME or not, as well as if you want it to be a LAMENTATION or a CALL to ACTION. A lamentation would be a bit more sad in nature, perhaps listing things wrong with the planet and our treatment of it. A call to action is a bit more positive and proactive, instructing folks how to remedy the current situation. (idea: you might even want to take a clue from Macbeth's witches and make it a list or "recipe" of sorts).

Step 2: Brainstorm ideas - think of words, facts, etc. you want to include. You can focus on one specific issue (like saving the rainforests or ending plastic pollution), OR include a variety of topics. At this point you might want to do a bit of research. (Here is a good place to start). If you are rhyming, write words that rhyme on the side next to each other and feel free to use https://www.rhymezone.com/ (check out what the youth movement Extinction Revolution is doing, or Sir David Attenborough's BBC special https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47976184 ).

Step 3: Compose and rework with poem as needed, keeping in mind the "trochee" format (trochaic tetrameter). Post to your blog with a relevant image and be ready to share next class.