Anacrusis

Literary/ Cultural Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. WORLD HISTORY AND IDEAS: A CROSS-CULTURAL VOLUME.

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The insertion of one or more unstressed syllables at the beginning of a line where the poetical metre would normally demand a stressed syllable. For example, the “And” which opens the second line of Blake's “The Tiger” is logically an unstressed word but stands in a place where the rhythm requires a stress:

When the stars threw down their spears, And watered heaven with their tears, Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

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81 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Anacrusis". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=41, accessed 21 December 2024.]

Anacrusis

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