Iambic Pentameter Practice

No -- ONE must | HAVE a | MIND of | WINter

This line has four feet, and uses a DUM-da stress pattern instead of the iambic da-DUM.

Yes -- for SOON | eNOUGH | the WOODS, | the HAWK, | and HE

No -- GO and | CATCH a | FALLing | STAR

This line has only seven syllables, not ten, and does not use the iambic stress pattern.

Yes -- i ON | ly KNOW | that SUM | mer SANG | in ME

This has ten syllables (five feet) in the iambic da-DUM stress pattern.

No -- i KNOW | that I | shall MEET | my FATE

This is a tricky one. It's in the iambic stress pattern -- da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM. But there are only eight syllables -- four feet -- instead of five. So it's called iambic tetrameter (four feet), not pentameter.

Yes -- but IF | they AN | swered HIM | we HAVE | n't HEARD

Five feet (ten syllables), following the iambic stress pattern.

Yes -- i HAVE | outWALKED | the FURTH | est CI | ty LIGHT

Ten syllables (five feet) in the iambic da-DUM stress pattern.

No -- and TIME | has THROWN | us FREE | UNder | the TIME | less MOON

The stress pattern is close to iambic (with the exception of the word under). But the line has twelve syllables, or six feet, so it's not iambic.

No -- OV-er the CI-ty the MOON rides in MIST

This has ten syllables, but it's in a different stress pattern: DUM da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM.

No -- who AL | ways HAS | adVICE | in these | MATters

This line has five feet (ten syllables), but does not use the iambic stress pattern.