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Literature vocabulary · Poetry

Anapest

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In literature, anapest means: A metrical foot with two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable.

In Turkish: anapest, iki vurgusuz bir vurgulu ayak

How it is used

Use when scanning stress-based verse; mark the pattern da-da-DUM before naming the foot.

Example sentences

  1. The anapest in 'in the dark' places the strongest beat on the final word.

    Two lighter syllables lead into the stressed final syllable.

  2. The poet replaces an iamb with an anapest to give the line an extra light syllable.

    The replacement puts two unstressed syllables before the strong beat instead of one.

Common collocations

  • an anapestic foot
  • identify an anapest
  • meterA regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry, measured in units called feet, such as the iamb (da-DUM) or the trochee (DUM-da).
  • rhythmThe pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, pauses and speed in a line of poetry or prose, which gives it a sense of movement.

More terms: Poetry

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