16 line Blank Verse
Blank Verse is Poetry that is written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. An
iambic foot is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. The
rhythm can be written as: da DUM. A line of iambic pentameter is five
iambic feet in a row: da DUM / da DUM / da DUM / da DUM / da DUM.
Technically it has no designated number of lines, but for our contest we ask
you write 16 lines. William Shakespeare wrote most of his plays in blank
verse.
Example of Blank Verse:
Excerpt from Macbeth
by
William Shakespeare
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
(note, this example does not strictly follow the iambic pentameter as the
syllables do not add up to 10 per line at times, but for our contest we ask you
stay as close to strict iambic pentameter as you can.)