Meter refers to what in poetry?

• A. The mood
• B. The setting
• C. The rhyme pattern
• D. The rhythmic structure of poems

Answer: (D)

Meter is the rhythmic structure of poems—the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line that creates the poem’s beat or cadence. This rhythm gives poetry its musical flow, guiding how lines rise and fall as you read. The concept helps explain why lines feel regular or varied, especially when poets use patterns like iambs or pentameter. It’s different from mood (the emotional atmosphere), setting (the where/when), and rhyme pattern (the arrangement of rhymes at line ends). So meter specifically refers to the rhythm created by the arrangement of stresses in the verse.