Iambic Pentameter

When it came to iambic pentameter Alexander Pope was no dumb amateur. In his strict use of it he achieved a skill often with a monotonous overkill – a danger every poet should not commit unless he likes his thoughts in a straitjacket, and the flow so turgid and mechanical the line will cease to sound natural – more strident, unmellifluous and harsh like a stomping, goose-stepping march. Now here’s a fast and easy suggestion to unclog a line’s bumpy congestion which Pope and other poets used to great effect when they deemed it appropriate : they added an extra syllable or stress which opened it and gave it smoothness. These little extras acted like a breach and made the line read like spoken speech. It may not work even with a first try and take it from me, it’s not a lie. In fact, you may require a new line or couplet to be rewritten with a little extra sweat. But, hey, think back to when you started writing how many drafts required no editing?