This translation of "Hymn to Beauty" follows an iambic pentameter rhythm structure. This means that the basic rhythm is iambic. An iamb is a two-syllable segment of poetry, with one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, as in "di-VINE" or "with-OUT." This unstressed-stressed pattern is the general rhythm followed throughout the poem, as in the line "like STU-pe-FY-ing DRUGS your KISS-es TURN." The translator takes liberties with this basic pattern often, in lines like "WHO CARES if YOU'RE a BLESS-ing OR a CURSE?" This is sometimes necessary to maintain the integrity of the poem's language in its original French.
Pentameter means that the poem has five iambs in each line, for a total of ten syllables per line. This poem maintains the syllabic count quite strictly.
Iambic pentameter is the.....
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