Meter refers to what in poetry?

• A. The length of the poem
• B. The rhyme scheme
• C. The rhythmic structure of poems
• D. The number of lines

Answer: (C)

Meter in poetry is the rhythmic structure—the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that gives poetry its beat. This is about how the line sounds when spoken, not how long it is, nor the pattern of end rhymes, nor the total number of lines. For example, iambic pentameter has five feet per line, each with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, creating a steady, musical rhythm. Rhyme schemes describe which lines rhyme, and line count describes length, but meter specifically refers to that regular rhythm. So the best description is the rhythmic structure of poems.