An Introduction to Iambic Pentameter

When we speak of the meter of a poem, we are referring to its overall rhythm, or, more specifically, the syllables and words used to create that rhythm. One of the most interesting in literature is iambic pentameter, which  Shakespeare nearly always used when writing in verse. Most of his plays were also written in iambic pentameter, except for lower-class characters, who speak in prose. Iamb What Iamb In order to understand iambic pentameter, we must first understand what an iamb is. Simply, put an iamb (or iambus) is a unit of stressed and unstressed syllables that are used in a line of poetry. Sometimes called an iambic foot, this unit can be a single word of two syllables or two words of one syllable each. For instance, the word airplane is one unit, with air as the stressed syllable and plane as the unstressed. Likewise, the phrase the dog is one unit, with the as the unstressed syllable and dog as the stressed.   Putting the Feet Together Iambic pentameter refers to the number of total syllables in a line of poetry—in this case, 10, composed of five pairs of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables. So the rhythm ends up sounding like this: ba-BUM / ba-BUM / ba-BUM / ba-BUM / ba-BUM Most of Shakespeare’s famous lines fit into this rhythm. For example: If mu- / -sic be / the food / of love, / play on(Twelfth Night) But, soft! / What light / through yon- / -der win- / -dow breaks?(Romeo and Juliet) Rhythmic Variations In his plays, Shakespeare didn’t always stick to ten syllables. He often played around with iambic meter  to give color and feeling to his character’s speeches. This is the key to understanding Shakespeares language. For instance, he sometimes added an extra unstressed beat at the end of a line to emphasize a characters mood. This variation is called a feminine ending, and  this famous question is the perfect example: To be, / or not / to be: / that is / the ques- / -tion(Hamlet) Inversion Shakespeare also reverses the order of the stresses in some iambi to help emphasize certain words or ideas. If you look closely at the fourth iambus in the quote from Hamlet above, you can see how he has placed an emphasis on the word â€Å"that† by inverting the stresses. Occasionally, Shakespeare will completely break the rules and place two stressed syllables in the same iambus, as the following quotation demonstrates: Now is / the win- / -ter of / our dis- / content(Richard III) In this example, the fourth iambus emphasizes that it is â€Å"our discontent,† and the first iambus emphasizes that we are feeling this â€Å"now.† Why Is Iambic Pentameter Important? Shakespeare will always feature prominently in any discussion of iambic pentameter because he used the form with great dexterity, especially in his sonnets, but he did not invent it. Rather, it is a standard literary convention that has been used by many writers before and after Shakespeare. Historians are not sure how the speeches were read aloud—whether delivered naturally or with an emphasis on the stressed words. This is unimportant. What really matters is that the study of iambic pentameter gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of Shakespeare’s writing process, and marks him as a master of rhythm to evoke specific emotions, from dramatic to humorous.

How Media Influences Public Opinion Essay - 1621 Words

Abstract In our democratic society, mass media is the driving force of public opinion. Media sources such as Internet, newspaper, news-broadcasts, etc, play significant roles in shaping a person’s understanding and perception about the events occurred in our daily lives. As long as the newspapers, internet, network television, etc, continued to be easily accessible to the public, the media will continue to have an influence in shaping its opinions. Factors such as agenda-setting, framing and priming help shape the public opinions. Agenda-setting is when the media focuses their attention on selected issues on which the public will form opinion on, whereas framing allows the media to select certain aspects about the problem and then†¦show more content†¦Researches performed over the years have indicated that media methods such as agenda-setting, priming, and framing are important factors in influencing and shaping of public opinion. Agenda-setting is one of the most important factors in shaping public opinion. Agenda-setting can be defined as the ability of the media to direct public attentions toward the issues they believe are important to the public. But whose choice is it that determines which issues are more important over others? The news media can set an agenda-setting by focus attention on selected issues on which the public will form opinions from (McCombs). The media can paint a memory in your head by repeatedly repeating the issues on different media sources as Internet, network televisions, newspapers, etc. Since these sources are the cheapest and easiest to access, the information can be view by vast number of audiences. As quoted in a 1922 classic called â€Å"Public Opinion† by Walter Lippmann, â€Å"The media are a primary source of those pictures in our heads about the larger world of public affairs, a world that for most citizens is ‘out of reach, out sight, out of mind’ and what we know about the world is largely based on what the media decide to tell us† (McCombs). In other words, what we perceived as important issues in our society are mainly determined by what theShow MoreRelatedHow Media Influence On The Opinion Of Public On Certain Topics1158 Words   |  5 PagesHere I will discuss how media influence can affect the opinion of public on certain topics and how whether they provide evidence when explaining their concerns in the articles. Also, how they use different approaches and how the public perceives the article. The article tends to use a lot of words like â€Å"His belligerent intent†, â€Å"The biotech giants† or â€Å"big biotech companies† this putting forward how bad the GM crops and trying to make it sound very bad though in some cases it isn’t as bad as theyRead MoreHow Do Special Interest Groups and Mass Media Influence Democracy, Public Opinion, and the Political Process in America?596 Words   |  2 Pages The media, interest groups, and political standard is a fascinating marriage in our mechanically exceptional social order. It is better comprehended when differentiated into their singular commitment to our social order to positively feel their effect on our day by day lives. Broad communications is characterized as a method for correspondence that achieves a huge volume of individuals in a short measure of time (broad communications). Interest groups could be better seen as an aggregation thatRead MorePublic Opinion Is the Most Significant Agency Inf luence Public Opinion1034 Words   |  5 PagesPublic opinion can be defined as sum of individuals opinions on an issue affecting those individuals but the opinion should be rational to the issue. According to Leornard W. Doob, public opinion also refers to peoples attitudes on an issues when they are members of same social group. Besides that, David Truman also stated out that public opinion consist of the opinions of aggregate of individuals making up the public under discussion. it does not include all the opinion held by such a set ofRead MoreAgenda Setting Theory And Social Media1317 Words   |  6 PagesAgenda-Setting Theory and Social Media The agenda-setting theory states that the media influences what people choose to think about. The theory emerged from communication studies and focuses on mass media and setting the public agenda. In the seminal article, McCombs and Shaw (1972) found a high correlation between media agenda and the public agenda through content analysis of a local election. The theorists wanted to discover what types of people are most susceptible to the media agenda through quantitativeRead MoreHow Media Uses Different Methods Manipulate The Public And The Influence It Has On Society1411 Words   |  6 PagesPublic Opinion â€Å"Public opinion, an aggregate of the individual views, attitudes, and beliefs about a particular topic, expressed by a significant proportion of a community.† Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2015. Britannica. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.britannica.com/topic/public-opinion. [Accessed 11 November 15] â€Å"The collective opinion of many people on some issue, problem, etc., especially as a guide to action, decision, or the like.† Dictionary.com. 2015. dictionary.reference.com. 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In today’s politics, the media is a necessary part of the campaign process and is undoubtedly a powerful tool for candidates in getting their message to the public and the engine by which public opinion is formed. But just how powerful is the media? Dictionary.com defines the media as, â€Å"The means ofRead MoreThe Changing Face Of Political Campaigns1025 Words   |  5 PagesThe media is everywhere. In our computers. In our phones. In our radios. Just around the corner waiting in a newspaper stand and flashing bright colors across our TVs. It seems like there is something being reported continuously every day. News and information are only a few taps away; unlimited knowledge now sits in almost anyone’s back pocket. All these new forms of media are changing everything. Political campaigns are not something we typically think about. To most people above the age of 18Read MoreExplain The Effects Of Family On Ones Political Values1171 Words   |  5 Pagesdemocracy, one has the privilege to directly vote on key public officials. This can be seen in presidential elections, state elections, etc. A democracy is significant because it protects the interests of the people, and allows citizens to feel a sense of authority in the nation’s government. Essentially, ensuring that the government does not have all the power. How Political Values Are Formed Describe what political socialization is and how it is important. Political socialization is the processRead MoreThe Agenda Setting Model Can Guide The Public Opinion And Mass Communication1464 Words   |  6 Pagessetting. The agenda setting model can guide the public opinion and mass communication about some social or political issues. Different with media effects model, the media effects more like to telling people how to think, however, the agenda setting model is successful in telling people what to think about. In a general way, agenda setting theory was constructed in the environment of traditional mass media, and the purpose is to study traditional mass media. About the visual agenda setting, the particular

I Believe free essay sample

As a community recognized for the notorious serial killer BTK (Bind Torture Kill) with almost 3000 reports of assault, and nearly 14,000 cases of larceny in 2006, at first glance, Wichita continuously struggles against immorality and crime. But close examination reveals the kinship, consideration, and true convictions of genuine individuals that manifest themselves in every neighborhood. After living in this community for over eight years, I’m convinced that well-intentioned people appear in all divisions of Wichita, despite its initial negative impression. My personal experiences with a few of the kind-hearted individuals have shaped my outlook on life. I believe in the compassion innate within humanity. The ability to observe ill-intentions proves not only universal, but also useless. The ability to consistently seek out care, peace, and affection is a talent bestowed upon all individuals, but only utilized by a select few. I believe that by closely scrutinizing our surroundings in the home, local community, and international population, hopes for peace will always be evident. I have started to not care what other people think of me even though I may look different than everybody else. When I lost my hair, I had a difficult time being in large crowds because I felt like everyone’s eyes were on me thinking the same question. Does he have cancer? People have even asked me in person that question and I had to politely correct them and explain to them what alopecia is. Today, that doesn’t bother me as much. That’s one of the aspects I love about Wisconsin. I don’t feel as though I would be overwhelmed on campus and I feel as though it is definitely a place where I can make an impact and hopefully start my career. I have also begun to accept me for who I am. I learned that in order for me to be happy, I need to be with friends who don’t care how I look and share the same interests as I do. That’s how I am approaching my college search. I want to be around students who accept me for who I am. From what past graduates and current student have said, University of Wisconsin-Madison sounds like a place where I would fit right in. They have also said that UW allows its students to continue to be who they are and to work towards shaping, not only their future, but the surrounding community as well. I can see myself being a part of the community at Wisconsin. I can imagine myself relaxing in the student lounges, meeting and getting to know new people that can possibly make an impact on my life. I can see myself attending classes working towards that PharmD degree and graduating looking to succeed in life. I often look back at the moment I fractured my wrist. I wonder how things could ha ve been different if I didn’t break it. In a way, I’m glad it happened because I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Hopefully, in a few months, I will be setting foot on campus and scoring goals at Wisconsin. I believe that I will have a full head of hair again. I believe that I will be successful in the future. I believe that I will play college soccer. This I believe.

The Apathy Of Generation X Essays (1367 words) - Elections

The Apathy of Generation X The Apathy of Generation X For the past 25 years it has been wondered why the young people of America have shared the same apathetic attitude towards politics as the older generation of Americans. Indeed, the issues concerning young voters are just as important as those concerning older voters. Why the newest voters choose to abstain their right has long been studied. While it has been proven that the vote of young people can make or a break an election, most candidates are reluctant to relate themselves to young people. When that Tuesday in November comes, young people choose not be heard, assuring themselves future neglect by the part of elected officials. There are reasons that young people do not vote, or get involved in political actions. They range from apathy to just plain not having enough time. One of the larger reasons is that most candidates are much older then those 18-25. This would put the generation gap in between candidates and the youthful voters. A 19 year old Trinity College student remarks about Bob Dole, I think he is making himself look older by speaking about certain issues we (young people) can not relate to. When asked to give an example the student stated, "he made a reference to World War I, I thought he was going to say he fought in that one too!" (www.mtv.com/chooseorlose). While Bob Dole is a isolated instance, many youthful voters feel that there is a ever growing distance between them and the older generations. Another reason that young people are turning away is lack of education towards politics. While this could be said for any age group, it seems to be more prevalent in younger people. The lifestyle of younger people does not allow for a everyday exposure to politics as those of a older generation. Thomas Banks, a 19 year old student, when asked why he was not watching the 1992 Presidential Debates responded, "I guess because I don't really see what's going on at college. I feel pretty isolated. It doesn't seem as important to me as studying. I guess". Although not in a career yet, the life of a student is proving to be just as busy as those in the older generations. People in the full time labor are not the only ones who can use a hassle-full life as an excuse not to get involved. There is another major reason that young people feel isolated and set apart from the political world. For those who take the time to educate themselves, and to participate in what activities they can; they soon find that the major candidates have paid little, if any attention to the issues that effect young people the most. Chris Weinkopf, associate editor of National Review, when speaking about how Bill Clinton and Bob Dole are talking to young voters said, "I think both of them are really just paying lip service to young people in the way they address issues" (www.mtv.com/issues.html). When young voters make themselves heard in an election, they can turn the outcome like no other age group can. Even with minimal turn-out on the part of 18-25 year olds. Elections have been won or lost because of who young people do or do not support. In 1992, 50% of registered voters under the age of 30 turned out to vote. In that election, Bill Clinton received 50% of the under 30 vote (Bush received 30%, Perot 20%). Clintons 20% margin of victory in the young people vote was his largest in any age group and may have very well put him in the White House. Since John Andersons independent run at the White House in 1980, young people have been the strongest supporters for those outside the two party system. Now in 1996, even though Ross Perot has a dismal 5% overall, his support amongst the younger voters is in the double digits. There are many things that will make young people get involved. The biggest thing that gets the attention of youthful voters is the same thing that gets the attention of older voters, money. When the financial status of a young person is threatened, they are more likely to get involved in political activities. Issues such as student loans, tax cuts, minimum wage and Pell Grant minimums are issues that turn the heads of younger voters. Other issues that effect young people and make them get involved include birth control, use of tobacco products and A.I.D.S. research to name a few more. In 1991, Montanas state Legislature enacted a unique