ANAPAESTIC TETRAMETER

This information is taken from Wikpedia, but there are many other websites which will give you help with this particular rhythm.

"Anapaestic tetrameter is a poetic meter that has four anapaestic metrical feet per line. Each foot has two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable. It is sometimes referred to as a "reverse dactyl", and shares the rapid, driving pace of the dactyl.

"Description and uses
Anapaestic tetrameter is a rhythm for comic verse, and prominent examples include Clement Clarke Moore's 'Twas the night before Christmas, Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark, and Dr. Seuss' Yertle the Turtle and The Cat in the Hat. When used in comic form, anapestic tetrameter is often highly regular, as the regularity emphasizes the breezy, melodic feel of the meter, though the initial unstressed beat of a line may often be omitted.

"However, the verse form is not solely comic, and Lord Byron's epic Don Juan, for example, contains much anapestic tetrameter. In non-comic works, it is likely that anapestic tetrameter will be used in a less regular manner, with caesuras and other meters breaking up the driving regularity of the beat. "

If you want to read more on this go here:
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If you have been using some of my poems over the year, you will have seen I have used this particular rhythm for many of my poems. Yes, it can be used for comic verse, but I chose this partcular rhythm for my poem Queen of the Night - The Leopard because if you listen to the rhythm it has a walking rhythm and in the poem there is the movement of the animal walking through the grass. The rhythm goes titty TUM titty TUM four times each line. CHILDREN: Clap this rhythm as you go along, or tap your fingers on your desk as I do.

On four SOFT padded PAWS walks the QUEEN of the NIGHT.
Though her MOVEments are Agile her FOOTsteps are LIGHT.
  But this SOLitary FEline has NOTHing to FEAR
  And is DRIven by HUNger to SEARCH out the DEAR.

Sometimes I use one beat less to start the first line, or often come in on a heavy beat to emphasize the subject, so I could have started:

The QUEEN of the NIGHT walks with STEALTH and with CARE
And she STOPS by a CLEARing and SNIFFS the night AIR.

Note that I have come in with just one light beat instead of two. That is quite OK. Sometimes an extra beat can be added to the last line as a winding down of the poem - well, I think so and other poets do also.

Here is a good example of Anapaestic tetrameter from QUEEN OF THE NIGHT

On four SOFT padded PAWS walks the QUEEN of the NIGHT.
Though her MOVEments are Agile her FOOTsteps are LIGHT.
  But this SOLitary FEline has NOTHing to FEAR 
  And is DRIven by HUNGer to SEARCH out the DEER.

Walk your fingers over your table as you read the words in capitals to discover the four beats (feet) on each line. Then try writing some sentences using this metre yourself. I will start you off:

In my KITchen is LYing a DOG in her BED
In the GARden are WAITing four DUCKS for their BREAD
On the HILLtop is GRAZing a SHEEP with black HORNS
When the POSTman arRIVES with a PARcel for ME
In the MIDST of the TRAFfic is MUM in her CAR

Each of your lines could be the start of your next poem, and you then need to develop your story.

In the meantime here is Dr Seuss's first verse of Yertle the Turtle, but my turtle was called Myrtle the Turtle - do you remember her?

  On the far-away Island of Sala-ma-Sond,
  Mertle the Turtle was king of the pond.
  A nice little pond. It was clean. It was neat.
  The water was warm. There was plenty to eat.
  The turtles had everything turtles might need.
  And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed.

You will see that he didn't always start his lines with two light beats - but it doesn't really matter does it? If you want to read the rest of this poem your teacher can easily find it via Google - or you can.

My Myrtle the Turtle also strolled along to the same beat:

  A turtle called Myrtle was crossing the road
  In a state of severe trepidation,
  She wanted some petrol to fill up her tank,
  And had spotted, of course, the Shell Station.

I had other characters in this poem: Brian the Lion, Tony the Pony. Make some names up yourself now for fun.

Keep up your daily practice. Concentrate on one thing each week and do a little each day and soon your poetry writing will improve.