Which term is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables?

• A. Alliteration
• B. Meter
• C. Prosody
• D. Enjambment

Answer: (B)

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is meter—the rhythmic framework of a poem. Meter captures how syllables are arranged as unstressed and stressed in a repeating pattern, usually organized into feet (like iambs, trochees, etc.). For example, in iambic pentameter there are five feet per line, each foot an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, creating a regular beat that gives the verse its cadence. Prosody covers rhythm and sound more broadly, including intonation and pacing, but meter specifically names that repeating stress pattern. Alliteration focuses on repeating initial consonant sounds, and enjambment concerns how a sentence runs over line breaks, not the rhythm of stresses.