What is an iamb?

Answer 1

An iamb is a metric foot of poetry which goes di-dah, an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one as in the word a-bove. Shakespeare wrote in iambic pentameter whereby every line consisted of five consecutive iambs going di-dahdi-dah di-dah di-dah di-dah

eg |Then she|is well|and noth-|ing can| be ill|

(Romeo & Juliet)

Sometimes there is a creative bending of the rhythms of iambic pentameter, as in the following:

What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet.

This kind of rhythmic analysis comes from an attempt to cast English in the light of the Greek classics, for which these rhythms are more natural. It is a good idea not to become slavishly tied down by the classical rhythms when writing English verse, although it is good to know something about how to use them. This study is subtle and can go much deeper than most people suspect. As a small example, isn't it strange and a little off-putting to hear the second quote stressed like this: What's IN a NAME? That WHICH We CALL a ROSE? Yet, both quotes are from Shakespeare, arguably the greatest man of English letters. An iamb is a metrical foot used in various types of poetry.