Anapestic Tetrameter

When people write iambic poetry, the most common form has 5 iambs per line, making it iambic pentameter. When writing anapestic poetry, however, it very common to have 4 anapests per line, making it anapestic tetrameter.

When writing anapestic tetrameter, it is common to write pairs of adjacent lines so they rhyme.

The following is an example of a poem in anapestic tetrameter:

After the Festivities
When the sparklers have sparked and the cannons have boomed,
And the flags have been flown and the flowers have bloomed,
When the coleslaw arrives and the meat has been grilled,
And the children have played and the bellies are filled,
When the families have left after long, fond good-byes,
And the tables are cleared, we sit back with a sigh,
Then we doze and digest with a satisfied smile,
And with fondness remember the day for awhile;
But perhaps in the midst of the party and fun,
We've lost sight of the way that our freedom was won;
Let us never forget the great war that was fought,
And the price for our freedom, in blood dearly bought -
For the wisest of Men said that Truth sets you free,
And to let freedom ring, Truth was nailed to a tree.
(Copyright 2010 by Douglas Twitchell)

See Also
Anapests
Iambic Pentameter

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