Do Sonnets Need to Be in Iambic Pentameter?

Your sonnet must have a metrical pattern. ... Every line of your sonnet must have five feet (so 10 syllables). Pentameter means five and iambic pentameter simply means five feet. Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter, not only in the sonnets but also throughout his plays.

Are sonnets always in iambic pentameter?

Every sonnet rhymes and has 14 lines (usually in iambic pentameter), but nearly everything else can and has been changed up. ... The rhyme scheme for the whole poem is abab cdcd efef gg. This means that you only need to find two words for each rhyme.

Why must a sonnet be written in iambic pentameter?

Although the majority of the lines in a Shakespearean sonnet should be written in iambic pentameter, the rhythm can get plodding and predictable if you use it exclusively.