Which sentence best defines blank verse?

• A. Poetry without meaning
• B. Rhymed poetry in free verse
• C. Poetry without line breaks
• D. Unrhymed poetry written in a consistent meter

Answer: (D)

Blank verse is poetry written in a regular meter but without end rhymes. The standard form in English is iambic pentameter, which means each line has five feet with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, creating a steady, natural rhythm without rhyming at the ends of lines. This combination—unrhymed lines with a consistent meter—defines blank verse. The other statements don’t fit: poetry without meaning ignores sense; free verse is poetry without a regular meter or rhyme; poetry without line breaks would read like prose. So the description that captures blank verse is unrhymed poetry written in a consistent meter.