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What is Iambic Pentameter?

10th GradeELA30 min

Learning Objective

I can identify and analyze iambic pentameter in poetry.

Lesson Flow

Watch Video

8 min

Guided Notes

6 min

Key concepts students will learn:

  • A Shakespearean sonnet is a 14-line poem written in iambic pentameter.

  • Shakespeare reshaped the sonnet into three quatrains followed by a couplet, allowing for more flexibility in the poem's emotional turn.

  • In Sonnet 18, the first quatrain introduces the idea that the poem's subject is more exquisite than summer, because summer fades.

Practice

10 min

3 questions • Multiple choice & Short answer

Exit Ticket

5 min

Identify and mark the stressed and unstressed syllables in the following line from Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

Teacher Guide

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  • Answer keys for all questions
  • Differentiation strategies
  • Extension activities
  • Printable student handouts
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