blank verse

American  

[blangk vurs] / ˈblæŋk ˈvɜrs /

noun

1. unrhymed verse, especially the unrhymed iambic pentameter most frequently used in English dramatic, epic, and reflective verse.

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blank verse British  

noun

1. prosody unrhymed verse, esp in iambic pentameters

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blank verse Cultural  

1. Verse written in iambic pentameter, without rhyme. Many of the speeches in the plays of William Shakespeare are written in blank verse; this example is from Macbeth:

   Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

   Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

   To the last syllable of recorded time;

   And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

   The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

   Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player

   That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

   And then is heard no more: it is a tale

   Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

   Signifying nothing.

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Etymology

Origin of blank verse

First recorded in 1580–90

Compare meaning

How does blank-verse compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• blank verse vs. free verse

Example Sentences

"This is the biggest mountain because I was always worried about the iambic pentameter, about blank verse, and not being trained as an actor," he says.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2024

The theater piece is written in deliberately Bard-like blank verse and alludes to Shakespearean plots.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 20, 2022

Those who went for blank verse seemed to think that anything, however banal,

From Washington Post • Jun. 18, 2020

This handsome RKO film, directed by John Ford and adapted from Maxwell Anderson’s blank verse drama, hit the box office like a dud cannon ball.

From New York Times • Sep. 14, 2018

The play was demanding because the dialogue was in blank verse.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• ballad
• composition
• epic
• lyric
• poetry
• rhyme
• sonnet
• verse
• writing