A pentameter is five pairs, five pairs
Just like a dining table with ten chairs
Five children have five pairs of hands, and feet
Five pairs of diners, so ten meet to eat
I am sure you want to know the truth, trust me
I was asked by a friend this week, at last
I've penned up all my knowledge from the past
But now I'm sure my time has come to speak
I'm sure you know duo / duet means two
You know bicycles have two wheels, not more
A tricycle has three wheels, triads - three
And triplets ride trikes with three wheels, yes three
Quadrangle have four angles at four points
Quadruplets have four times the food and fun
The Pentagon has five sides, we're quite near
A pentameter, five metres - we're done.
A human foot has ten toes, so a foot
In poetry or drama, is a verse
Used by the king, villain or chief or boss
The royals speak with rhythm sounding grand
In Shakespeare you can hear the strong heartbeat
'I am the king who rules the wilful waves
I stand, declaim, and claim, this throne, my seat
Behead the wives, beat slaves and kill the knaves
A hero, or anti hero has visions
To be or not to be has a strong beat
Count your beats, like Hamlet, make decisions
Two lots of four or five, your line's complete.
It's sort of, not quite, no, that can't be right
Poetic feet have two syllables so a pentameter has ten
A meter's just a measure, rhythm, tight -
Maths wasn't my strong point, let's start again
Trochees stamp on first beats, iambic - two
Trochees have a marching sound, dum dee dum
Iambic sounds more like a flowing sea
Iambic flows on, like waves, leaves on trees.
Pentameter have ten beats in five pairs
Iambic like 'I am', stamps on beat two
The emphasis on second syllable
Just count beats, it's easy for you to do:
You can if you wish use the useful bold
I dare say you could also under line
Or try Italics if that system helps you
I keep on changing systems all the time
The pentagon has five sides I recall
Ten syllables is easier than eight
Short lines to cut can drive you up the wall
For poems, long pentameters are great.
Unstressed, then stressed, unstressed then stressed
Iambic, oh no, oh woe is me. I feel undressed
Unstressed, then stressed, unstressed, then stressed
I was stuck, but now, I am happy, I am impressed.
-ends-
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You can also write songs in six beats and four to make ten syllables per line, as in the Bee Gees' song, First Of May.
