Which statement best describes meter in poetry?

• A. Recurring pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables
• B. A fixed number of lines per stanza
• C. A device used to describe rhyme
• D. The poem's central theme

Answer: (A)

Meter is the recurring pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line, which gives poetry its rhythm. This rhythm shapes how a line sounds and moves, guiding pacing and musical feel. For example, in iambic meter the pattern is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, and in iambic pentameter there are five of these feet per line. Meter is about rhythm, not how many lines a stanza has, not rhyme-related devices, and not the poem’s subject. A fixed number of lines per stanza describes structure, while rhyme concerns sound endings, and theme is the poem’s message. So the best description of meter is the repeating pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that creates the poem’s rhythm.