Anapestic hexameter: A metrical line composed of six anapestic feet (x x / x x / x x / x x / x x / x x /). With each foot containing three syllables, the line will total eighteen syllables. Dactylic hexameter, a meter of classical epic, is often described as being composed of "feet" that are either dactyls or anapests. In practice, English translators and writers of anapestic hexameter often substitute a trochee for a dactyl to maintain a more natural English rhythm. Despite its potential grandeur due to its length, anapestic hexameter is not a standard or frequently used meter in English poetry. Its primary value lies in demonstrating the vast range of metrical possibilities inherited from classical prosody. Studying such a long and complex line helps poets and scholars understand the principles of scansion and the differences between classical and English accentual-syllabic systems. It serves as an example of a highly formal and artificial structure that may be more of academic interest than practical use.

Six-foot anapestic line (eighteen syllables). Very long and rare. Creates sustained galloping rhythm. Related to dactylic hexameter but reversed stress pattern. Unwieldy in English; experimental usage. Consider breath capacity.