A line of verse containing 12 syllables, commonly used in French and English poetry.
From Old French, originally referring to poems about Alexander the Great. The name comes from Alexandre, as the 12-syllable line was thought to fit epic narratives about Alexander. Medieval poets associated the meter with heroic tales of the famous conqueror.
The alexandrine is basically the 'power chord' of poetry—its 12-syllable length and natural pause in the middle create an authority and grandeur that made it irresistible for centuries of poets telling stories of kings and battles.
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