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Anacrusis

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

One or more unstressed syllables that precede the first full metrical foot in a line, often used to create rhythmic variation or emphasis.

Detailed Definition
Anacrusis is an unstressed syllable or syllables preceding the first full metrical foot of a line, acting as a lead-in that doesn’t count toward the official meter; common in trochaic or dactylic verse, it creates a gentle or anticipatory rhythmic onset.
Example
Example in poetry:
Anacrusis in Shakespeare’s “To be, or not to be” (unstressed “To”); anacrusis in Blake’s “Tyger! Tyger! burning bright” (initial “Ty-”); anacrusis in Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death”; anacrusis adds unstressed lead-in syllables before metrical pattern begins
Additional Notes
Unstressed syllable(s) before first complete foot. Also called upbeat or initial slack. Related to catalexis. Creates pickup into rhythm. Common in ballads and songs. See "The curfew tolls" (unstressed "the").
Other Meanings of “Anacrusis”
Also Known As
upbeat extrametrical syllables Anacrustic onset pickup
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