Question

L 2.1.3 Quiz: Understand Themes in Literature

Question 6 of 10
Why were meter and alliteration important poetic devices to 14th century
poets?
OA. They lengthened the lines on the page.
B. They helped poems stand out from others.
OC. They simulated natural conversation.
OD. They made poems easier to memorize.

Answer 1

Meter and alliteration were important to 14th century poets because they helped create rhythm and musicality in their poems.

Step-by-step explanation:

Meter and alliteration were important poetic devices to 14th century poets because they helped create rhythm and musicality in their poems. Meter refers to the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry, which helped to establish a specific rhythm in the poem. Alliteration, on the other hand, is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, which added a musical quality to the words and helped create a pleasing sound.

For example, in the famous 14th century poem 'The Canterbury Tales' by Geoffrey Chaucer, the use of meter and alliteration can be seen:

Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote

In this line, the meter establishes a rhythmic pattern, while the repeated 's' sound in 'shoures' and 'soote' creates alliteration.

Learn more about Poetic devices in 14th century literature