expression

blank verse

unrhymed poetry in regular meter

In more detail

Poetry written in unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter (ten syllables per line with alternating unstressed and stressed syllables), commonly used in English drama and narrative poetry.

Examples

Shakespeare wrote many of his plays in blank verse, which gave them a natural, speech-like rhythm.

How to use blank verse

Blank verse is a technical term in prosody and literary criticism, used when discussing the formal structure of poetry and dramatic works. It is particularly associated with Renaissance and Early Modern English literature, especially Shakespeare and Milton. The term is standard in academic and literary contexts when analyzing meter and form.

Common phrases

blank verse drama
blank verse poetry
blank verse line
written in blank verse
blank verse couplet
Shakespearean blank verse

Synonyms

unrhymed iambic pentameter · heroic unrhymed verse · iambic pentameter

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse blank verse with free verse; blank verse has strict meter (iambic pentameter) and follows formal rules, whereas free verse has no regular metrical pattern.

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