Anapest

An anapest is a poetic foot made of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one, as in "in the night".

The first line of a famous Christmas poem runs on anapests, with the stressed syllables in capitals.

'twas the NIGHT before CHRISTmas, when ALL through the HOUSE

Clement Clarke Moore, 1823

What it is

The anapest is da-da-DUM, like the rhythm of "understand" or "in the dark". It moves faster than the iamb because two light syllables rush toward each stress. The limerick is built on it.

How to spot it

Say the line aloud and tap the beat. If two quick syllables rush into every tap, you are hearing anapests. Try "on the RUN and the JUMP" and you can feel the pull toward each stress. Because the line gallops, a stray extra syllable is less noticeable than in a slower meter, but too many make the rhythm sloppy. Cut a light syllable and the gallop usually steadies.

Why it matters to a writer or editor

An anapestic line carries a sense of speed and play. It suits comic and storytelling verse. It is a poor fit for solemn subjects, and a poem that sounds jaunty by accident is often a poem running on anapests it did not mean to use.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of poems use anapests?

Light, quick verse such as limericks and comic poems, and some narrative poems, because the two short syllables give the line a gallop.