Romeo and Juliet 1.1 Language: Blank Verse

The video tutorial explains the distinct nature of poetic language, highlighting its use of rhetorical devices, rhythm, and structure. It introduces iambic pentameter, a poetic line style with a specific syllable and stress pattern, and discusses blank verse, a non-rhyming form used extensively in Shakespeare's plays. The tutorial emphasizes that poetic form was a common medium for serious literature in Shakespeare's time.

What are some rhetorical devices mentioned that contribute to the poetic nature of language?

• Hyperbole and irony

• Metaphors and imagery

• Similes and alliteration

• Personification and onomatopoeia

How many syllables are typically found in a line of iambic pentameter?

• 8 syllables

• 9 syllables

• 11 syllables

• 10 syllables

What is the pattern of stress in iambic pentameter?

• Only the middle syllable is stressed

• The first and last syllables are stressed

• Every other syllable is stressed

• Every syllable is stressed

What is the term for poetry that does not rhyme?

• Limerick

• Sonnet

• Blank verse

• Free verse

Why would Shakespeare's audience not find his poetic plays unusual?

• Most serious literature was written in verse

• They did not understand prose

• They were used to reading novels

• They preferred prose over poetry