* Iambic refers to the metrical foot, which consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (da-DUM).
* Pentameter means there are five of these iambic feet in each line, resulting in ten syllables total.
This rhythm is very common in English poetry, particularly in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. Here's an example from Shakespeare's *Romeo and Juliet*:
> "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?"
Each bolded word represents a stressed syllable, showcasing the alternating pattern.