Free verse is defined as poetry with neither rhyme nor meter.

Free verse is defined as poetry with neither rhyme nor meter.

• A. Poetry with rhyme and meter
• B. Poetry with rhyme but no meter
• C. Poetry with neither rhyme nor meter
• D. Poetry with meter but no rhyme

Answer: (C)

Free verse centers on not following a fixed pattern of rhyme or meter. It breaks from traditional, formal verse by forgoing consistent feet and rhyme schemes, using varied line lengths and pauses that mirror natural speech. Because of that, the description poetry with neither rhyme nor meter fits, even though a free-verse poem can still use sound devices like alliteration or occasional internal rhymes. The important point is that there isn’t a regular metrical pattern or rhyme scheme that governs the poem as a whole. Other descriptions describe forms that rely on rhythm or rhyme (or both), so they don’t capture the essence of free verse.

Free verse centers on not following a fixed pattern of rhyme or meter. It breaks from traditional, formal verse by forgoing consistent feet and rhyme schemes, using varied line lengths and pauses that mirror natural speech. Because of that, the description poetry with neither rhyme nor meter fits, even though a free-verse poem can still use sound devices like alliteration or occasional internal rhymes. The important point is that there isn’t a regular metrical pattern or rhyme scheme that governs the poem as a whole. Other descriptions describe forms that rely on rhythm or rhyme (or both), so they don’t capture the essence of free verse.