What does pentameter mean?
Pentameter is a form of poetic meter based on five metrical feet. The most familiar variety in English is iambic pentameter, consisting of five iambs: pairs of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Its rhythm gives a line a measured, elevated, or ceremonious character, which is why it is common in blank verse, dramatic dialogue, heroic couplets, and formal poetic imitation. Pentameter does not necessarily require ten syllables in every line, because poets may elide syllables or vary the metrical pattern. Dactylic pentameter, based chiefly on dactyls, is also historically important, especially in Greek and Latin verse. For modern readers, pentameter is most often associated with the steady rise and fall of Shakespearean blank verse. Recognizing it helps explain why certain lines sound balanced and deliberate even when their subjects and vocabulary are entirely contemporary.
nounA form of poetic meter consisting of five metrical feet. It most commonly refers to iambic pentameter, in which each foot contains one unstressed and one stressed syllable.
- A form of poetic meter consisting of five metrical feet, especially five iambic feet.
"She wrote the final stanza in iambic pentameter."
"The translator rendered the poem in iambic pentameter."
"The line's five rhythmic feet make it a clear example of pentameter."
Plural forms are occasionally used when referring to distinct examples, styles, or lines of pentameter.
"The collection includes pentameters modeled on classical English drama."
Five feet make a pentameter—the rhythmic backbone of much English verse, from Shakespeare to intentionally formal couplets.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pentameter come from?
The word was formed in Greek from pente, meaning “five,” and metron, meaning “measure.” The underlying Greek metrical tradition distinguished pentameter by its five-foot structure, including the dactylic pentameter of classical verse. English later adopted the term for verse based on five metrical feet, with iambic pentameter becoming its dominant modern form.
How pentameter is actually used
In modern English, the term usually means iambic pentameter unless another kind is specified. Iambic pentameter has five feet, generally with ten syllables; however, variations involving elision or metrical substitution occur. Dactylic pentameter is an older form with a different structure.