Literature Glossary
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Dactyl
Definition:
A dactyl is a foot of poetry made up of three syllables: one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables. Dactyls often have a sing-song hypnotic effect on readers, and sound a little something like this: DUM-da-da.
Check it out:
Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies.
That's the first line of the Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" which is written in dactyls. For some non-music poetry, check out Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade."