Chhand means meter - a type of construction of poetry in Sanskrit language; like Dohaa, Chaupaayee, Savaiyaa, Sorathaa, Kundaliyaan in Hindi poetry.

For example - Dohaa has four sections in two lines - first and third sections are of 13 Maatraa, while second and fourth are of 11 Maatraa, besides the last letter of second and fourth section should be short and match; while Sorathaa has opposite to this - 11 Maatraa should be in first and third sections, and 13 Maatraa in the second and fourth sections of those two lines, besides the last letter of first and third sections should be short and match.

Sonnet is in English poem in iambic pentameter with a carefully rhyme scheme.. It has 14 lines - three stanzas of 4 lines each plus 2 lines more. Its 14 lines break in Octave which usually rhymes as abbaabba, sometimes abbacddc, but rarely abababab; and a Sestet which may rhyme xyzxyz or xyxyxy, or any of the multiple variations possible using only two or three rhyme sounds. The English or Shakespearean Sonnet, developed during the same period, consists of three quatrains, and a couplet with the pattern - abab cdcd efef gg. Other strict, short poetic forms occur in English poetry, such as Sestina, the Villanelle, the Haiku, but none has been used so successfully as the Sonnet. The Italian Sonnet was introduced in the early 16th century.

According to Agni Puraan, 12 there are seven types of Chhand in Sanskrit poetry - (1) Gaayatree,  (2) Brihatee,  (3) Ushnik,  (4) Jagatee,  (5) Trishtup,  (6) Anushtup, and  (7) Pankti and these Chhand pull the chariot of Soorya Dev assuming the form of horses. Among them, for example, Gaayatree Chhand has 24 syllables - 3 lines of 8 syllables ;  Anushtup Chhand has four parts of 8 syllables each and thus has 32 letters in all (8+8+8+8). Chhand are used in writing Vaidik literature.

Bhaagvat Puraan, 3/6 says that ---

Ushnik Chhand appeared from Brahmaa's fur (Rom);
Gaayatree Chhand appeared from his skin;
Trishtup Chhand appeared from his flesh;
Anushtup Chhand appeared from his nerves;
Jagatee Chhand appeared from his bones;
Pankti Chhand appeared from his Majjaa;
Brihatee Chhand appeared from his Praan (soul).

Some of the names of Chhand are ----