Although metre is clearly one of the most important distinguishing features of poetry, it is often perceived as an arcane area and merely technical in its importance. Ron Tamplin breathes fresh life into discussion of rhythm and rhyme by considering their meanings as well as their manifestations, and by examining how metrical changes parallel social and cultural shifts. On one level he argues in favour of very simple descriptions of metrical patterns (rather than endless technical discussion of metrical nuances); on another, he argues that rhythm is a prime means of structuring experience and that the patterns of poetry are as "natural" as they are "artificial".