Iambic pentameter? Easy!

Last updated: 15/11/2023
Contributor: Teachit Author
Iambic pentameter? Easy!
Main Subject
Key stage
Category
Drama: Shakespeare for key stage 3
Resource type
Student activity
Author
William Shakespeare
Authors
William Shakespeare
A useful resource that clearly explains what iambic pentameter is, with examples and activities for students to practise on. The examples are taken from a range of Shakespeare's writing including his plays and sonnets. A useful pre-reading resource before studying a Shakespeare play. 

All reviews

Have you used this resource?

Nice and simple for the students to understand. I love your student's explanation of a bumpy horse ride when reading Shakespeare!

Anne Gibbons

17/07/2016

Thank you for your comments. We've now corrected the example texts so that tetrameter doesn't feature! Thanks again, Lucy (Teachit editor).

Lucy Hewitt, Publishing Manager

25/04/2014

Apologies - I should have been more careful with my text choices. A lot of my students have struggled with this - clapping helps - and bongo drums are very effective for stressed and unstressed syllables. If you have practical musicians in your sets you will find that they can probably work out really complex verse patterns for you. I don't spend a lot of time on this - but I produced it when a student asked why was Shakespeare so "bumpy" and said he wrote like riding a horse all the time - and we could see what he meant!

Ruth Newbury

20/07/2013

I love this resource except that Sonnet 145 is in tetrameter which isn't mentioned on the worksheet so it is a bit confusing for students. Maybe add in somewhere that sonnets can be in different meters.

Good work though!

05/04/2013

Nice and simple for the students to understand. I love your student's explanation of a bumpy horse ride when reading Shakespeare!

Anne Gibbons

17/07/2016

Thank you for your comments. We've now corrected the example texts so that tetrameter doesn't feature! Thanks again, Lucy (Teachit editor).

Lucy Hewitt, Publishing Manager

25/04/2014

Apologies - I should have been more careful with my text choices. A lot of my students have struggled with this - clapping helps - and bongo drums are very effective for stressed and unstressed syllables. If you have practical musicians in your sets you will find that they can probably work out really complex verse patterns for you. I don't spend a lot of time on this - but I produced it when a student asked why was Shakespeare so "bumpy" and said he wrote like riding a horse all the time - and we could see what he meant!

Ruth Newbury

20/07/2013

I love this resource except that Sonnet 145 is in tetrameter which isn't mentioned on the worksheet so it is a bit confusing for students. Maybe add in somewhere that sonnets can be in different meters.

Good work though!

05/04/2013

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