10
QuizMultiple Choice

Rhyme Scheme and Rhythm in a Sonnet by William Shakespeare — Quiz

Question 10 • Literature and Composition I

Read the line from “Sonnet 18.” Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May How many iambs are in the line?

Answer
A
Ten, because an iamb is a count of the individual syllables in a poetic line.
B
Five, because an iamb is an unstressed syllable and a stressed syllable.
C
Five, because an iamb is a stressed syllable that is emphasized.
D
Nine, because an iamb is the number of words found within a line of poetry.

Explanation

The line has 10 syllables, which form five pairs of syllables. An iamb is a two-syllable poetic foot with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, so the line has five iambs. Choice B gives the correct definition and count.

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