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Arts & Culture

Iambic Pentameter in Shakespeare's Sonnets

Quick fact

Shakespeare's 154 sonnets are almost entirely written in iambic pentameter, but he often broke the pattern subtly (e.g., starting with a stressed syllable or adding an extra unstressed beat) to highlight emotional shifts.

Why this is interesting

You know the sound of a heartbeat: da-DUM da-DUM. What if poetry could mimic that natural pulse? That's the secret behind the rhythm of Shakespeare's sonnets—iambic pentameter.