What's a single unit of meter, such as iamb or trochee?

• A. Verse
• B. Poetic Foot
• C. Meter
• D. Foot

Answer: (B)

In poetry, meter is built from small repeating units that give rhythm. The basic unit is a metrical foot, a little group of syllables with a specific pattern of stresses. Common feet include the iamb (unstressed followed by stressed) and the trochee (stressed followed by unstressed). The single unit of meter is called a poetic foot because it names the unit used to construct the rhythm in poetry. Saying “poetic foot” clarifies we’re talking about the unit that carries the pattern, whereas “foot” alone is the same idea but less specific. For example, in iambic pentameter there are five feet per line, each foot an iamb. This is why the best term for a single unit of meter is poetic foot.