I gotta work on this some more.
A dactyl is ONE-two-three - a triple rhythm. But maybe an anapest is not just a matter of the stress being on the final beat instead, but (musical analogy) it's two pickup notes and the downbeat, which makes it more a four-count rhythm: three-four-ONE like a galloping horse - pa-da-POM, pa-da-POM etc - with a short unvoiced pause providing an implied "two," . Otherwise you really can't tell one from the other. If you string them together how do you decide whether it's a poly-dactyl or a poly-anapest?
Sung to the tune of the Irish Washerwoman: " We got PAR-a-di-CHLOR-o-a-MI-no-benz-AL-de-hyde / PAR-a-di-CHLOR-o-a-MI-no-benz-AL-de-hyde / PAR-a-di-CHLOR-o-a-MI-no-benz-AL-de-hyde / PAR-a-di-CHLOR-o-a-MI-no-benz-AL
de-hyde / PAR-a-di-CHLOR-o-a-MI-no-benz-AL-de-hyde / PAR-a-di-CHLOR-o-a-MI-no-benz-AL-de-hyde / PAR-a-di-CHLOR-o-a-MI-no-benz-AL-de-hyde / PAR-a-di-CHLOR-o-a-MI-no-benz-AL..." repeat
ad-libitum. Is it ONE.two.three.ONE.two.three or two.three.ONE.two.three.ONE?
Here's what the tune sounds like(PS Para-etc. is the chemical name for a kind of moth-repellant.)
