Question

“sonnet 29”
by william shakespeare
when in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes
i all alone beweep my outcast state,
and trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
and look upon myself, and curse my fate,
wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
desiring this man’s art, and that man’s scope,
with what i most enjoy contented least;
yet in these thoughts my self almost despising,
haply i think on thee, and then my state,
like to the lark at break of day arising
from sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
for thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
that then i scorn to change my state with kings.
which statement about iambic pentameter, which is used in “sonnet 29,” is correct?
an iamb consists
of a stressed
syllable followed
by another
stressed syllable.
an iamb consists
of two unstressed
syllables followed
by two stressed
syllables.
an iamb consists
of an unstressed
syllable followed
by a stressed
syllable.
an iamb consists
of five stressed
syllables followed
by five unstressed
syllables.

Explanation:

To determine the correct statement about iambic pentameter, we first recall the definition of an iamb. An iamb is a metrical foot in poetry, and its structure is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Let's analyze each option:

• The first option says an iamb has a stressed syllable followed by another stressed syllable, which is incorrect.
• The second option describes a different metrical foot structure (not an iamb) with two unstressed and two stressed syllables, which is wrong.
• The third option correctly states that an iamb consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
• The fourth option describes a structure related to pentameter (five stressed and five unstressed) but misdefines an iamb (an iamb is a single metrical foot, not related to five - five in this way).

Answer:

The correct statement is: An iamb consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. (The option with this description among the four given in the problem)