Free verse is a type of poetry that does not follow any prescribed or regular meter, rhyme scheme, or fixed form. Instead, it tends to follow the natural rhythms of speech and allows for flexible line lengths and structures

. Unlike traditional poetry forms that have strict patterns, free verse poems create their own internal logic through sound, word choice, rhythm, and literary devices, rather than relying on formal constraints

. Historically, free verse (or vers libre) emerged in late 19th-century France and was popularized in English poetry in the early 20th century, notably by poets associated with the Imagist movement

. It is characterized by an organic rhythm that mimics natural speech patterns rather than a fixed metrical system, and while it appears "free," it still involves discipline in its use of cadence, phrasing, and sound patterns

. In summary, free verse is poetry that breaks away from traditional rules of meter and rhyme, allowing poets greater freedom to express ideas and emotions in a form shaped by the poem's own internal rhythm and structure rather than external rules