noun
- a metrical foot consisting of two syllables, with the first unstressed and the second stressed
Usage: poetry; prosody
Examples
- The word ‘begin’ is an example of an iamb.
- Shakespeare’s sonnets are written primarily in iambic pentameter, using five iambs per line.
- The poet used iambs to create a rhythmic, flowing verse.
- An iamb has the pattern of unstressed-stressed syllables.
- The line ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’ contains several iambs.
- Students learn to identify iambs when studying poetic meter.