We're reading Othello in class and I absolutely love it, so much so that I've been inspired to write something in iambic pentameter for fun. The problem is, I'm a bit confused about the stressed and unstressed syllables.
Each iamb (foot) is supposed to have a one stressed and one unstressed syllable. But, is this supposed to be a writing thing or a reading thing? Which is to say, should I generally be writing with the stresses in mind, or just put ten syllables in each line and rely on the (hypothetical) actor to read it with the stresses in the right places?
And if it's the former, how should I tell what is a stressed or unstressed syllable? Are some sounds or letter combinations inherently stressed?
Thanks!
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