Poetry Lesson I: What is an Anapest and can it hurt me?

"A Visit from St. Nicholas" turns 200 this year!

Last night, I hosted an online lesson about the poem’s form, history, and legacy. It was a practice session for me. I want to be conversant on-the-fly. Four professional Clauses and my aunt showed up on Zoom. We practiced saying “anapestic tetrameter” 10 times. No one got hurt!

The more I dive into the poem, the more I learn and enjoy.

Anapestic tetrameter is a poetic form from Polish literature that includes four poetic "feet," or rhythm patterns, in one line.

For example: T'was the NIGHT before CHRISTmas when ALL through the HOUSE

Try clapping out the rhythm and notice the words that get the most emphasis.

Stay tuned for more fun facts about this famous poem.

As a Mrs. Claus who can work alone without a Santa, I want to offer fun educational sessions about poetry. Write to me at mrsclausnyc@gmail.com. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for weekly poetry lessons.