Meter is described as a recurring pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. How many types are described in the material?

• A. Six
• B. Four
• C. Eight
• D. Two

Answer: (A)

Meter describes the rhythm created by repeating patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables, using feet as the basic building blocks. In English poetry, there are six common feet: iambic (unstressed then stressed), trochaic (stressed then unstressed), anapestic (two unstressed followed by a stressed), dactylic (stressed followed by two unstressed), spondaic (two stressed), and pyrrhic (two unstressed). The material you studied identifies six types of meter, so six is the right count. The other numbers would imply fewer or more patterns than the standard set described.