Final answer:
In poetry, 'rhythm' refers to how words are emphasized in a sentence, which can be regular or irregular and contributes to the musical quality of the poem.
Step-by-step explanation:
Meter and rhythm are two terms often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings in the context of poetry.
Meter is the basic, consistent pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry, whereas rhythm is about the variation in the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that contribute to the musical quality of a poem.
It is about how words fall into patterns for either a euphonic or discordant effect, often achieved through syllabic emphasis.
So, in answering the question, when we talk about rhythm, it refers to how words are emphasized in a sentence.
Each word contains syllables that can be stressed or unstressed, which creates variations in sound and often contributes to the overall emotional and musical effect of a poem.
This emphasis can sometimes follow a regular pattern, creating meter, but can also be irregular, which contributes to the unique rhythm of a poem