Here's a breakdown:
* Dactyl: A metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables (˘˘ˈ).
Example:
The word "happy" is a dactyl.
* "Hap" is unstressed
* "Py" is unstressed
* "Happy" is stressed
Dactyls are commonly used in poetry, often creating a sense of speed or movement. Some famous examples of poetry written in dactylic meter include:
* "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
* "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Let me know if you'd like to explore dactylic meter in more detail!