Which term describes the rhythmical pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry?

Which term describes the rhythmical pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry?

• A. Alliteration
• B. Onomatopoeia
• C. Meter
• D. Connotation

Answer: (C)

Meter describes the rhythmical pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry. Think of it as the poem’s beat—how some syllables are spoken more forcefully than others to create a regular rhythm. Poets often arrange syllables to follow a repeating pattern, like the da-DUM feel of an iamb, which helps set the pace and mood of a line or whole poem. The other terms refer to different ideas: alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds, onomatopoeia are words that imitate sounds, and connotation is the emotional associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning.

Meter describes the rhythmical pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry. Think of it as the poem’s beat—how some syllables are spoken more forcefully than others to create a regular rhythm. Poets often arrange syllables to follow a repeating pattern, like the da-DUM feel of an iamb, which helps set the pace and mood of a line or whole poem. The other terms refer to different ideas: alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds, onomatopoeia are words that imitate sounds, and connotation is the emotional associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning.