Anapest

Ever wondered why the poetry of Doctor Seuss (1904-1991) sounds so melodic? When reading his work, rhymes roll off the tongue, and verses seem to float across the page. Why is that? In part, it's because Doctor Seuss was a fan of writing in anapests. While not as popular as iambs or trochees, the anapest has a distinct rhythmic quality that distinguishes it from its peers. Used in humorous verse, It can be cheerful, light and buoyant; used in dramatic poems, it can be intense and suspenseful.

Curious to learn more? Let's look at a basic anapest definition and then explore the meter in more detail. We'll also focus on the anapestic tetrameter, the most popular version of the meter, which was used many famous poets, including T.S Eliot (1888-1965) and William Blake (1757-1827). Finally, we'll look at some anapest examples and explore some critical poets that have used the unique stress pattern to great effect.

Anapest definition

What do we mean when we write poetry in 'anapest'? Let's start with a basic definition.

For example, the word 'contradict' is anapestic (con/tra/dict).

If this seems confusing at first, there's no need to worry. Let's recap what we mean by metrical feet and explore syllable stress patterns in more detail. Then, we'll return to this definition to make sense of it.

Anapest meter

To understand how the 'anapest' fits into our knowledge of poetry, let's first remind ourselves what 'metrical feet' are.

We can identify the 'type' of metrical foot based on which syllables the poet emphasises in a word. We refer to syllables that the poet emphasises as 'stressed' and syllables they don't as 'unstressed'.

After identifying the stress pattern in a line, we can decide its meter. Different combinations of stressed and unstressed syllables have different names. For example, one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable is known as a 'trochee'. Here are the most common combinations of stress patterns and their names:

• Iamb: Unstressed/Stressed (da-DUM)
• Trochee: Stressed/Unstressed (DA-dum)
• Spondee: Stressed/Stressed (DA-DUM)
• Anapest: Unstressed/Unstressed/Stressed (da-da-DUM)
• Dactyl: Stressed/Unstressed/Unstressed (DA-da-dum)

The meter we are focusing on today, 'Anapest', is underlined. As you can see, it consists of two 'unstressed' syllables followed by one 'stressed' syllable.

The final step to identifying a meter is to count how many repetitions of a stress pattern there are per line. For example, if we counted an anapest three times in a line, we would refer to that line as 'anapestic trimeter'. If we counted four repetitions, we would call it 'anapestic tetrameter'. For reference, here's a list of the most common meters:

• Monometer = one foot
• Dimeter = two feet
• Trimeter = three feet
• Tetrameter = four feet
• Pentameter = five feet
• Hexameter = six feet
• Heptameter = seven feet
• Octameter = eight feet

Today, we'll focus on anapestic tetrameter, the most popular meter involving anapestic stress patterns. Let's learn why this is the case and look at some examples of the meter.

Anapestic tetrameter

As we know, a line of anapestic tetrameter features four repetitions of an 'unstressed/unstressed/stressed' pattern. This means that the line can be said comfortably in one breath, making anapestic tetrameter a favourite of many poets who want to write with an anapestic stress pattern. Look at the first two lines of Clement Clarke Moore's (1779-1863) 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' (1823).

This poem contains four anapests per line, making it an example of anapestic tetrameter. You'll notice that the meter perfectly suits the gentle, soft tone of the poem.

In contrast, the extra syllable per anapest compared to iambs or trochees can make a verse in anapestic pentameter or anapestic hexameter hard to read. For this reason, anapestic pentameter and hexameter are extremely rare.

Fig 1. 'A Visit from St. Nicolas' has always been a universal Christmas favourite since its publication in 1823. Many know it by its more popular title, 'Twas the night before Christmas'. Here's former president George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush reading the story during the White House story hour (2002).

The pleasant, rhythmic feel of the meter makes it a popular choice for humorous poems and children's stories. The gentle rhythm is easy on the ears, and the stress pattern creates lines perfect for rhyming. This often gives anapestic poetry a 'singsong' cadence, which aids memorisation. This is partly why 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' has been a festive favourite with children for hundreds of years.

Anapest examples

There are many other prominent examples of anapest within poetry. Let's explore some other famous works of literature.

T.S Eliot - 'The Naming of Cats'

The first four lines of T.S Eliot's 'The Naming of Cats' (1939) are written in almost perfect anapestic tetrameter.

Eliot wrote this poem as part of a larger collection called Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939). Anapestic tetrameter perfectly suits the lighthearted, playful nature of the poems, which are all focused on the thoughts, behaviours and psychology of cats.

You'll notice that lines 1-3 begin with an iambic foot (unstressed/stressed) instead of an anapest. This helps to disrupt the cadence of the poem, preventing the melody from getting overly repetitive. This is typical of anapestic poetry, as many writers vary up their work by including other stress patterns.

Doctor Seuss - The Cat in the Hat

Anapestic tetrameter was also one of Doctor Seuss's most-used meters. Here's an extract from The Cat in the Hat that shows the meter in action.

Similar to Eliot's poem above, Seuss's use of anapestic tetrameter makes The Cat in the Hat feel jolly and whimsical. The meter also emphasises the end rhymes' lot' and 'pot', making the verse more memorable. Perhaps this explains why many of us can still recall rhymes from our favourite Doctor Seuss books today!

Lord Byron - 'The Destruction of Sennacherib'

Lord Byron's (1788-1824) 'The Destruction of Sennacherib' (1815) is written entirely in anapestic tetrameter.

Byron shows us that anapests are not reserved exclusively for comedic poems. Here, the meter makes the poem noticeably faster and more intense. As the unstressed syllables are typically said more quickly than the stressed syllables, the anapestic meter dramatically increases the pace of the poem.

Anapest poetry

For some further reading, here's a list of poetry written at least partially using anapests!