Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Pentameter

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Pentameter (from Greek: πεντάμετρος - 'measuring five (feet)') is a poetic meter. А poem is said to be written in a particular pentameter when the lines of the poem have the length of five feet, where 'foot' is a combination of a particular number (1 or 2) of unstressed (or weak) syllables and a stressed (or strong) syllable. Depending on the pattern of feet, pentameter can be iambic (one of three two-syllable meters alongside trochaic and spondaic) or dactylic (one of two three-syllable meters alongside anapestic) (see links below).

This class of meters includes:

  • Dactylic pentameter of antiquity
  • Iambic pentameter of modernity
  • References

    Pentameter Wikipedia