Quote by Robert Huntington Fletcher, A Hi
Highly important in poetry is Rhythm, but the word means merely 'flow,' so that rhythm belongs to prose as well as to poetry. Good rhythm is merely a pleasing succession of sounds. Meter, the distinguishing formal mark of poetry and all verse, is merely rhythm which is regular in certainfundamental respects, roughly speaking is rhythm in which the recurrence of stressed syllables or of feet with definite time-values is regular. There is no proper connection either in spelling or in meaning between rhythm and rime (which is generally misspelled 'rhyme'). The adjective derived from'rhythm' is 'rhythmical'; there is no adjective from 'rime' except 'rimed.' The word 'verse' in its general sense includes all writing in meter. Poetry is that verse which has real literary merit.
Summary
This quote explains the concept of rhythm in relation to poetry. It states that rhythm is crucial in poetry, as it refers to the pleasing flow of sounds in a piece. However, it clarifies that rhythm is not exclusive to poetry, as it can also be found in prose. The quote further distinguishes between rhythm and meter, asserting that meter refers to a regular rhythm that exhibits recurring stressed syllables or feet. The explanation also highlights the difference between rhythm and rhyme, emphasizing that rhythm does not directly correlate with spelling or meaning. Lastly, the quote defines poetry as verse with genuine literary value.