Which statement best distinguishes free verse from blank verse?

Which statement best distinguishes free verse from blank verse?

• A. Free verse has no regular meter or rhyme; blank verse uses unrhymed iambic pentameter.
• B. Free verse uses regular meter; blank verse uses rhyme.
• C. Free verse is always rhymed; blank verse is never rhymed.
• D. Free verse uses fixed stanza forms; blank verse uses free rhythm.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how rhythm and sound patterns define these forms. Free verse has no regular meter or rhyme, so its line lengths and cadences vary freely, giving a natural, speechlike flow. Blank verse keeps a regular meter—most often iambic pentameter, with five feet per line—but it does not rhyme at the end of lines. That combination of a steady rhythmic backbone without end rhymes is what sets blank verse apart from free verse. The statement reflects this distinction precisely. The other options mix up meter, rhyme, or form: free verse isn’t tied to regular meter, it isn’t required to rhyme, and blank verse isn’t rhymed or tied to fixed stanza forms.

The key idea is how rhythm and sound patterns define these forms. Free verse has no regular meter or rhyme, so its line lengths and cadences vary freely, giving a natural, speechlike flow. Blank verse keeps a regular meter—most often iambic pentameter, with five feet per line—but it does not rhyme at the end of lines. That combination of a steady rhythmic backbone without end rhymes is what sets blank verse apart from free verse. The statement reflects this distinction precisely. The other options mix up meter, rhyme, or form: free verse isn’t tied to regular meter, it isn’t required to rhyme, and blank verse isn’t rhymed or tied to fixed stanza forms.