Blank verse in Romeo and Juliet

Blank verse 

 Blank verse is a literary device of poetry.  In blank verse the rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllable is iambic pentameter and there is no rhyme.

• Iambic- Iamb means “Foot”  pent means “five”
• Each line of poetry contains five feet.
• A foot is a unit of two syllables where the first is unstressed and the second is stressed.

Example:

• “But soft! What light through yonder
• Window breaks

There are five sets of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Aspects of Blank verse

Iambic pentameter is the common feature of Shakespeare’s play.  It closely related to human speech.  The main aspects of Blank Verse is that it is iambic pentameter that is always unrhymed.

 Blank Verse in Romeo and Juliet

Blank Verse was a new development in the 16^th century, Shakespeare wrote more and more plays in favor of blank verse.  This gave a great growth in his writing.

Examples:

1.“I drew to part them in the
instant came” 

2.“The fiery Tybalt with his
   sword prepared”

 

3. “which as he breathed
Defiance to my ears”

4.” he swung about his head

And cut the winds”

5. “And when he shall die, take him and out in little stars…..

And pay no worship to the garish sun”

6.” How art thou out of breath, when thou has breath/to say to me that thou are out of breath?”

7.“put up your swords; you know not what you do”

 

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