Anapest: A metrical foot in poetry that consists of three syllables: two unstressed syllables followed by a single stressed syllable (x x /). When this foot is repeated multiple times in a line, it creates an anapestic meter. Anapestic meter often produces a rolling, galloping rhythm that is well-suited for narrative poems and ballads, as it can propel the story forward with a sense of motion. The most famous example in English literature is the anapestic tetrameter used by Lord Byron in "The Destruction of Sennacherib," where the repeating "da-da-DUM" rhythm mimics the relentless advance of the Assyrian army: "The SHEEP in the FOLD LEPT, the WOOL in the SLIP, / And the MEN in the CAMP WAKED at the LAP of the UP...". This meter is also used effectively by Longfellow in "Paul Revere's Ride" for the same reason.

Anapest is a metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one (˘ ˘ –); it creates a galloping rhythm common in lighthearted or narrative verse (e.g., Byron’s “The Destruction of Sennacherib”).

Anapestic meter uses two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one (da-da-DUM); it creates a rolling, galloping rhythm often used in comic or light verse.