- Iambic pentameter
  - Typical rhythm in English poetry
  - Five feet per line, each foot with unstressed and stressed syllables
  - Example: "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May"
- Reading poetry rhythmically
  - Difference between flat and rhythmic reading
  - Rhythm compared to heartbeat, breath, clock tick-tock, tide ebb and flow
  - Recurrent rise and fall of language
- Key terms in poetry
  - Foot
    - Combination of stressed and unstressed syllables
    - Four standard feet in English verse
    - Iambic foot: unstressed followed by stressed syllable
  - Meter
    - Recurrence of feet in a line
    - Pentameter: five feet per line
- Flexibility in iambic pentameter
  - Natural word accentuation takes priority over strict meter
  - Emphasis can break regular patterns for meaning
  - Irregularity adds artistic tension and surprise
- Artistic beauty in variation
  - Regularity vs. irregularity
  - Expected vs. unexpected creates greater pleasure
  - Monotony avoided through small changes
- Importance for beginners
  - Understanding iambic pentameter as a foundation
  - Experienced readers have freedom in interpretation
- Closing thought
  - Poetic immortality through rhythm and meaning