The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms - Ross Murfin 2018

Anapest

Anapest: A metrical foot in poetry that consists of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable (˘˘´).

EXAMPLES: cŏntr̆adі́ct, in̆tĕrfére, in̆ th̆e búff, “ar̆e yŏu mád?”

The sentence reads, “contradict, interfere, in the buff, ’are you mad?’”

In the word “contradict” the letter O has an unaccented symbol above it, the letter R has an unaccented symbol above it and the letter I has an accented symbol above it. In the word “interfere” the letter N has an unaccented symbol above it, the letter E has an unaccented symbol above it and the letter E has an accented symbol above it. In the word “in” the letter N has an unaccented symbol above it. In the word “the” the letter H has an accented symbol above it. In the word “buff” the letter U has an accented symbol above it. In the word “are” the letter R has an unaccented symbol above it. In the word “you” the letter O has an unaccented symbol above it. In the word “mad” the letter A has an accented symbol above it.

Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee” (1849) contains many anapestic lines, such as:

Fŏr thĕ móon nĕvĕr beáms, w̆ithŏut bŕingin̆g mĕ dréams

Ŏf thĕ beáutı̇̆fŭl ÁNNĂBĔL LÉE;

An̆d thĕ stárs nĕvĕr rі́se, bŭt Ĭ sée thĕ brı̇̆ght eýes

Ŏf thĕ beáutı̇̆fŭl ÁNNĂBĔL LÉE.

“Helter Skelter,” a famous and controversial song from the Beatles’ White Album (1968), is predominantly anapestic.