poems in orthodox rhyme royal are W. H. Auden's Letter to Lord Byron (as well as some of the stanzas in The Shield of Achilles), W. B. Yeats's A Bronze Head and John Masefield's Dauber. English examples Iambic pentameter Each example below is from a different century. The first is from Chaucer who may have introduced the form into English. The second is from 15th-century Scotland where the Scottish Chaucerians widely cultivated it. The third is from Thomas Wyatt. 14th century — Chaucer The double sorwe of Troilus to tellen, That was the king Priamus sone of Troye, In lovinge, how his aventures fellen Fro wo to wele, and after out of Ioye, My purpos is, er that I parte fro ye, Thesiphone, thou help me for tendyte Thise woful vers, that wepen as I wryt (Troilus and Criseyde 1.1–7) 15th century — Henryson (Describing the god Saturn hailing from an extremely cold realm) His face fronsit, his lyre was lyke the leid, His teith chatterit and cheverit with the chin, His ene drowpit, how sonkin in his heid, Out of his nois the meldrop fast can rin, With lippis bla and cheikis leine and thin; The ice-schoklis that fra his hair doun hang Was wonder greit and as ane speir als lang. (Testament of Cresseid 155–161) 16th century — Wyatt They flee from me that sometime did me seek With naked foot, stalking in my chamber. I have seen them gentle, tame, and meek, That now are wild and do not remember That sometime they put themself in danger To take bread at my hand; and now they range, Busily seeking with a continual change. ("They Flee from Me" 1–7, modern spelling) 19th century — Emma Lazarus It comes not in such wise as she had deemed, Else might she still have clung to her despair. More tender, grateful than she could have dreamed, Fond hands passed pitying over brows and hair, And gentle words borne softly through the air, Calming her weary sense and wildered mind, By welcome, dear communion with her kind. ("Sympathy" 1–7) 20th century – W. B. Yeats Here at right of the entrance this bronze head, Human, superhuman, a bird's round eye, Everything else withered and mummy-dead. What great tomb-haunter sweeps the distant sky (Something may linger there though all else die) And finds there nothing to make its terror less Hysterica passio of