The first stanza of "Paul Revere’s Ride" employs a rhythmic pattern known as iambic pentameter, which consists of five feet (or "iambs") per line, each foot containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. This means that each line typically has ten syllables in total, with a pattern of alternating unstressed and stressed beats.
However, the lines in "Paul Revere's Ride" are actually written in a different meter, which combines a mix that often deviates from strict lines of iambic pentameter. The stanza features a rhythm that may feel like a mix of tetrameter and other variations.
Based on the given options, none explicitly mention the correct meter as it relates to the poem's actual syllable arrangement. Still, the most appropriate would relate to a combination of stresses and unstressed syllables that create the poem's characteristic rhythm.
If you must choose from the provided options without direct correlation to the poem's form, the best option that somewhat fits might be:
- twelve syllables per line, with five stressed and seven unstressed (this aligns closest to the total syllable counts across some interpretations, though it’s not the precise meter).
Nonetheless, be aware that this might not convey the perfect rhythmic setup of this poem accurately.