Which line is written in iambic pentameter?
I, my dear, was born to-day –
For every atom belonging to me, as good belongs to you
The earth can have but earth, which is his due
Even as herself, O friend!
The line "For every atom belonging to me, as good belongs to you" is written in iambic pentameter.
The line "I, my dear, was born today" is written in iambic pentameter.
To determine which line is written in iambic pentameter, we first need to understand what iambic pentameter is. Iambic pentameter is a metrical pattern commonly used in English poetry, particularly in sonnets and plays written in verse. It consists of lines with ten syllables divided into five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables.
Let's analyze the options:
1. "I, my dear, was born to-day" - This line has fourteen syllables, making it too long for iambic pentameter since it exceeds the typical ten syllable count.
2. "For every atom belonging to me, as good belongs to you" - This line has sixteen syllables, also exceeding the ten syllables of iambic pentameter.
3. "The earth can have but earth, which is his due" - This line has twelve syllables, once again exceeding the ten syllable count.
4. "Even as herself, O friend!" - This line has six syllables, which is half the number of syllables required for iambic pentameter.
Thus, none of the options provided are written in iambic pentameter.