Blank Verse: Definition, Famous Examples & How to Write One
Poetic form · 1 poems · 1 annotated examples
Blank verse is a form of poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. Each line consists of ten syllables arranged in five pairs, with the stress placed on the second syllable of each pair: da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM. Unlike other forms, blank verse does not have a rhyme scheme. This combination of strict meter and the absence of rhyme sets blank verse apart from free verse, which lacks both elements, as well as from the sonnet or heroic couplet, which maintain rhyme with a similar meter.
The form made its way into English during the sixteenth century. Henry Howard, the Earl of Surrey, first employed it in his translation of Virgil's Aeneid around 1540, inspired by Italian unrhymed verse. It quickly gained popularity. Marlowe introduced it to the theater, referring to it as "the mighty line." Shakespeare relied heavily on it for nearly all of his plays. Milton chose it for Paradise Lost, claiming in his preface that rhyme was a "troublesome bondage." Wordsworth and Keats adapted it for more reflective poetry. Tennyson, Browning, and Stevens ensured its continuation into the modern era.
Why does it endure? Iambic pentameter closely mirrors the natural rhythm of English speech, making it feel fluent while still maintaining a formal tone. Without rhyme directing the reader's attention to the ends of lines, the syntax can flow across lines, develop extended arguments, and shift tones without the interruption of a couplet. This form is favored whenever a poet requires the space to articulate thoughts at length.
Annotated examples
Blank Verse in famous poems, line-by-line
Five years have past; five summers, with the length Of five long winters! and again I hear These waters, rolling from their mountain-springs With a soft inland murmur.
How to spot blank verse
What to look for when you read
1. **Line length.** Each line typically contains ten syllables, occasionally stretching to eleven with a feminine ending, which is an unstressed final syllable. If lines are consistently shorter or longer, it likely isn't blank verse.
2. **Iambic stress pattern.** Read a line out loud and listen for the da-DUM heartbeat repeating five times: "I CANNOT REST from TRAVel; I will DRINK." The stresses feel natural, not mechanical, but the rhythm is present.
3. **No end rhyme.** Look at the endings of the lines. If there's no rhyme scheme at all — not even a loose one — and the meter is iambic pentameter, you are observing blank verse.
4. **Enjambment and long sentences.** Poets who write in blank verse often use run-on lines since there's no rhyme to wrap up a thought. Sentences often flow over from one line to the next.
5. **No stanza breaks (often).** Blank verse usually appears in verse paragraphs instead of regular stanzas, particularly in epic and dramatic poetry.
6. **Context clues.** Works by Shakespeare and Marlowe, lengthy narrative or epic poems, and dramatic monologues from the Victorian era are strong examples.
How to write a blank verse
A practical guide for poets
1. **Start by mastering the base meter.** Write ten syllables with a da-DUM stress pattern five times. Say "I walked along the river in the rain" out loud and feel those five beats. Do this with about a dozen lines before moving on to anything else.
2. **Select a topic that allows for exploration.** Blank verse works best with subjects that develop — whether it’s an argument, a memory, or a character's voice. A quick image or joke suits a couplet better. Ask yourself: what do I need to explore further?
3. **Draft in sentences instead of lines.** Begin by writing what you want to express in straightforward prose. Then, break it down into ten-syllable iambic units. This approach prevents you from stretching lines just to fit the meter.
4. **Use enjambment with intention.** Without rhyme to indicate where a thought concludes, the line break becomes your primary tool for pacing and emphasis. Split a line mid-phrase to build suspense; conclude a line with a strong noun or verb to give it weight.
5. **Mix up the meter while staying grounded in it.** Occasionally substituting a stress — like starting a line with a trochee or using a spondee for emphasis — keeps the verse dynamic. Rigid mechanical regularity can sound more like a metronome than a human voice.
6. **Avoid the temptation to rhyme.** If you notice two line endings that accidentally rhyme, change one of the words. Unintentional rhyme in blank verse feels like an error rather than a stylistic choice.
7. **Read your work aloud at every stage of drafting.** Iambic pentameter is meant to be heard. If a line trips you up when spoken, the meter likely needs adjustment. Your ear will pick up on issues that your eyes might miss.
More blank verses
Curated from the public-domain corpus