In Defense of Iambic Pentameter

For Lori Jones McCaffery,
who was spatting with iambic pentameter
but loves it anyway

via HelloPoetry

Oh, no! Pentameter is not a trap -
Pentameter is - freedom’s wings, aloft
And golden in the morning sun, and free
It lifts our dreams into the skies, and sings

Pentameter is language’s strong heart
Its rhythm shapes our fondest hopes, and sends
Each one upon a pilgrimage of truth
To happiness enthroned at journey’s end

Besides all that, pentameter
Helps calm giddy tetrameter!

lawrence-hall

In Defense of Iambic Pentameter

Jan 19, 2026

Jun 7, 2026

June 2026

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connecthook

Giddy tetrameter is one of my besetting poetic sins...

VerseBuster

There’s such a charming, airy confidence in this – a defense that feels more like a celebration. The imagery of pentameter as ‘freedom’s wings’ gives the form a kind of radiant lift, and the closing couplet lands with a wink that keeps the whole piece delightfully self‑aware. It reads like someone who knows the craft deeply and still manages to play.

ChrisY

guy-scutellaro