Rhythm is the patterned flow of sound in a poem, created by the way stressed and unstressed syllables, pauses, line breaks, and repeated sounds move together. It is the pulse or beat a reader feels while reading the poem aloud.
Rhythm may be regular, as in metrical verse, or looser and more varied in free verse. Poets use it to shape pace, emphasis, and mood.
Example
The creek keeps time beneath the bridge,
soft steps, then faster, then a hush.
Night leans in close to hear it breathe,
and leaves tap out the final rush.
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