Let’s expand the two terms to help you understand them better. “Penta” means “five,” and “meter” means “to measure.” Pentameter therefore means five measures of iambs, or five feet. The term “iamb” refers to a foot, which is one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
In poetry, iambic pentameter refers to a line with five metrical feet. The meter refers to the number of syllables in a line of poetry, while the rhyme scheme, or rhyming pattern, indicates which lines in the poem rhyme. Structures for poems include a set meter and rhyme scheme. When you write a poem, you can choose whether you want to follow a set structure or do free verse.
If you are studying Shakespeare or even poetry in general, you will most likely hear the term “iambic pentameter.” This refers to a type of structure for poems.
