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.