Cadence is the natural rise and fall of speech or verse that gives a poem its rhythmic movement. Unlike meter, which follows a regular beat pattern, cadence is shaped more by phrasing, pauses, and emphasis, so it can sound smooth, restrained, solemn, or conversational.
Poets use cadence to control the poem's voice and to make lines feel measured, flowing, abrupt, or reflective.
Example
The river slows at evening,
carrying light, then shadow,
then silence between the reeds.