Meter
Meter is the rhythm is poetry. It is the internal "feel" of beat when poetry is read aloud. Meter conveys feelings or meanings in the poem also.It is the recurrence of a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Meter is all about rhythm.

Try to figure out the meter in the sample poem.

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Foot

The basic unit of measurement in a line of poetry. In scansion, a foot represents one instance of a metrical pattern and is shown either between or to the right or left of vertical lines, as in the following:

A Foot is named in the following way:

1. Iamb- two syllables, unstressed-stressed, as in "today".
2. Trochee- two syllables, stressed-unstressed, as in "standard".
3. Anapest- three syllables, unstressed-unstressed-stressed, as in "disengage"
4. Dactyl- three syllables, stressed-unstressed-unstressed, as in "probably".

Naming or Classifying the Meter in a Poem

The meter in a poem is classified according both to its pattern and the number of feet to the line. Below is a list of classifications:

Monometer = one foot to a line
Dimeter = two feet to a line
Trimeter = three feet to a line
Tetrameter = four feet to a line
Pentameter = five feet to a line

Hence the name of the line of poetry in the example above is Iambic Tetrameter.

In traditional poetry, Poets usually keep the same meter throughout the stanzas. In free verse poetry meter can change in each line of poetry.

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The Man He Killed
Thomas Hardy

"Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have sat us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!

"But ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.

"I shot him dead because--
Because he was my foe,
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although

"He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like--just as I--
Was out of work--had sold his traps--
No other reason why.

"Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat if met where any bar is,
Or help to half-a-crown."