Modern Iambic Pentameter

One of the particular characteristics of Shakespearean plays is the extensive use of iambic pentameter. At first glance, this may seem like an antiquated form of writing, and one could make the assumption that it is not used today at all.

However, this assumption would be wrong. Some modern songs can contain some lines in iambic pentameter. No songs are written completely in iambic pentameter, and the way a singer performs the song can also vary, causing the pentameter to not be evident.

Iambic pentameter was convenient for actors in Shakespearean times, because it made the lines easier to understand. Its rhythm gave a pattern to the words.

Iambic pentameter could be used in songs for this reason, or sometimes it might even appear accidentally. Meters can be found naturally in many songs, but some are better examples than others. Iambic pentameter could also be found together with other meters in a song, as writing one entire song in one meter would be quite limiting.

Some modern rap songs, even though the writer might not have intended it to be that way, can be interpreted in iambic pentameter. The first line of Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself” is : His palms are sweat-y, knees weak, arms are heav-y (Stressed syllables are in bold, dashes are used in words with more than one syllable).

The very last syllable of this line actually prevents it from being perfect iambic pentameter, but it is very close. This pattern might have been accidental, but it still almost fits iambic pentameter.

As stated before, the use of a meter is limiting, so writing a song only in iambic pentameter would be very difficult. However, it is curious to note that even though normal speech does not involve iambic pentameter, the meter and its variations partially remain in song lyrics to this day.

Website used for example of modern rap song: http://mscronksclass.weebly.com/home/eminem-ic-pentameter

Image from: http://www.wikihow.com/Scan-a-Poem