Meter is the rhythmic structure of a poem, created by the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line. It is measured in feet, each foot being a unit of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Common feet include iamb (unstressed–stressed, as in "again"), trochee (stressed–unstressed, as in "garden"), anapest (unstressed–unstressed–stressed, as in "understand"), and dactyl (stressed–unstressed–unstressed, as in "merrily"). The number of feet per line gives the meter its name: iambic pentameter has five iambs per line. Meter gives poetry its musical quality and can reinforce meaning.

Common meters

• Iambic pentameter: five iambs per line
• Trochaic tetrameter: four trochees per line
• Anapestic trimeter: three anapests per line
• Dactylic hexameter: six dactyls per line