A dactyl (Gr. δάκτυλος dáktulos, “finger”) is an element of meter in poetry. In quantitative verse, such as Greek or Latin, a dactyl is a long syllable followed by two short syllables. (A useful mnemonic for remembering this long-short-short pattern is to consider the relative lengths of the three bones of a human finger: beginning at the knuckle, it is one long bone followed by two shorter ones.) In accentual verse, such as English, it is a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables. Meter (British English spelling: metre) describes the linguistic sound patterns of a verse. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

An example of dactylic meter is the first line of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem Evangeline, which is in dactylic hexameter: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet who wrote many works that are still famous today, including The Song of Hiawatha, Paul Reveres Ride and Evangeline. ... Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie is a poem by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. ... Dactyllic hexameter (also known as heroic hexameter) is a form of meter in poetry or a rhythmic scheme. ...

This is the / forest prim- / eval. The / murmuring / pines and the / hemlocks,

The first five feet of the line are dactyls; the sixth a trochee. A trochee is a metrical foot used in formal poetry. ...

A modern example is the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds": The Beatles were a pop and rock music group from Liverpool, England, who continue to be held in the very highest regard for their artistic achievements, their huge commercial success, and their ground-breaking role in the history of popular music. ... Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is a song written mostly by John Lennon (with some material by Paul McCartney) in 1967 and recorded by The Beatles for their album, Sgt. ...

Picture your self in a boat on a river with

tangerine tree-ees and marmalade skii-ii-es.

Written in dactylic tetrameter, the song has the rhythm of a waltz. The word "skies" takes up a full three beats. The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in 3/4 time, done primarily in closed position. ...

The word "poetry" is itself a dactyl, as pointed out in the New York Times Crossword Puzzle (Will Shortz, ed.) for May 31, 2006.

See also

• Archilochian