What does alexandrine mean?
An alexandrine is a line of verse made up of twelve syllables — six iambic feet — and it stands as the classic metre of French poetry. From the dramas of Racine to the epics of the Pléiade poets, the alexandrine has carried the grandest registers of French literature for centuries, much as blank verse has in English. English poets adopted it too: Edmund Spenser ended each stanza of The Faerie Queene with an alexandrine, and later writers such as Robert Browning employed it for extended narrative effects. The word takes its name from medieval French romances recounting the deeds of Alexander the Great, which were composed in this metre. Today 'alexandrine' is primarily a technical term encountered in prosody, literary criticism, and poetry instruction rather than in casual conversation. Knowing it gives readers a precise vocabulary for describing one of the most influential line lengths in European verse.
nounAn alexandrine is a line of verse consisting of twelve syllables, or six iambic feet, typically used in French heroic poetry and drama. In English poetry it appears as an iambic hexameter line, often used to close a stanza.
- A line of verse of twelve syllables (six iambic feet), the standard metre of classical French poetry and used in English as iambic hexameter.
"Spenser closed each stanza of The Faerie Queene with a single alexandrine that slowed the verse to a stately close."
"Racine's tragedies unfold almost entirely in measured alexandrines."
"The poem's final alexandrine lent the stanza a lingering, ceremonial weight."
Used when referring to multiple such lines within a poem or across a body of work.
"The play's five acts consist almost entirely of paired alexandrines."
The alexandrine is named after medieval French romances about Alexander the Great — one of history's greatest military heroes gave his name to a line of poetry.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of alexandrine
The word derives from the name of Alexander the Great, via Old French poems about his exploits that were written in this twelve-syllable metre; the term entered English in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. It ultimately traces back to the Greek Alexandros, the personal name borne by the Macedonian king. Cognates include Alexandria, the Egyptian city founded by him, and the adjective Alexandrian.
How alexandrine is actually used
A literary and technical term used mainly in discussions of poetry and prosody. It is not part of everyday speech; readers encounter it chiefly in criticism, textbooks, and commentary on French or Elizabethan verse.
Easily confused with alexandrine
The proper noun 'Alexandrine' refers to a female given name (a form of Alexandra) or to the Alexandrine parakeet, whereas the lowercase 'alexandrine' here denotes a twelve-syllable line of verse.