Which meter best describes the line “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”

• A. Anapestic Pentameter
• B. Trochaic Tetrameter
• C. Dactylic Hexameter
• D. Iambic Pentameter

Answer: (D)

This line is in iambic pentameter, the rhythm Shakespeare uses in most of his sonnets. It has five iambic feet per line, meaning five pairs of syllables where the second syllable in each pair tends to be the stronger beat. When you read it aloud, you hear a repeating da-DUM pattern roughly ten syllables long, giving the line a smooth, steady heartbeat. In this line, the stresses fall in a way that emphasizes words like comPARE, SUMmer, and DAY, fitting the familiar Shakespearean rhythm. It isn’t in anapestic meter (three-syllable feet), nor in trochaic tetrameter (four feet starting with a strong beat), nor in dactylic hexameter (six-foot epic rhythm). The five-beat, unstressed-stressed pattern captures the standard English verse feel Shakespeare consistently uses in his poetry.