Episode 167: The Rhythm of English
The History of English Podcast
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The Origins of Iambic Pentameter in English Poetry
Geoffrey Chaucer introduced a new type of meter to English poetry. That was the meter we know today as Iambic pentameter. It allowed enough room to express an idea in a line of poetry without being too long or unwieldy. Shakespeare's usual meter is also found in his famous son at eighteen.
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