In poetry, a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is called what?

In poetry, a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is called what?

• A. Meter
• B. Tempo
• C. Pitch
• D. Timbre

Answer: (A)

Meter is the pattern that governs the rhythm of a poem by arranging syllables into a regular sequence of stresses. This creates a steady beat when the poem is read aloud. It’s different from tempo, which refers to how fast or slow you read, rather than the built-in rhythm of syllables. Pitch is about how high or low the voice sounds, and timbre is the color or quality of the sound. A common example is iambic pentameter, where each line has five units (iambs) consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, producing the familiar da-DUM rhythm. Understanding meter helps readers feel the poem’s flow and mood, and poets choose different meters to shape expression.

Meter is the pattern that governs the rhythm of a poem by arranging syllables into a regular sequence of stresses. This creates a steady beat when the poem is read aloud. It’s different from tempo, which refers to how fast or slow you read, rather than the built-in rhythm of syllables. Pitch is about how high or low the voice sounds, and timbre is the color or quality of the sound. A common example is iambic pentameter, where each line has five units (iambs) consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, producing the familiar da-DUM rhythm. Understanding meter helps readers feel the poem’s flow and mood, and poets choose different meters to shape expression.