1) Definition (exam-safe)
Blank verse is unrhymed iambic pentameter: lines with five iambic feet (da-DUM) and no end rhyme.
It is among the most important verse forms in English because it became the dominant medium for:
- Renaissance drama (Marlowe, Shakespeare),
- epic ambition (Milton),
- later narrative/meditative poetry.
2) What iambic pentameter actually means (conceptual clarity)
A) Iamb
An iamb is a metrical foot of:
- unstressed syllable + stressed syllable (da-DUM)
B) Pentameter
“Penta-” = five. So iambic pentameter generally has:
- five stresses (with some permissible variation).
Example pattern (schematic):
da-DUM | da-DUM | da-DUM | da-DUM | da-DUM
CUET tip: exam questions may test that blank verse is “unrhymed iambic pentameter,” not merely “unrhymed verse.”
3) Why blank verse matters historically
A) Drama and speech-like flexibility
Blank verse is close to natural English speech rhythm:
- allows elevated tone without rhyme constraint,
- supports long speeches (soliloquies),
- accommodates dramatic shifts (emotion, persuasion, conflict).