alexandrine
/ˌælɪɡˈzændrɪn/
noun
- A line of verse consisting of twelve syllables, commonly used in French poetry and occasionally in English.
- In French literature, the alexandrine is as important as the sonnet is in English.
- The poet wrote the entire epic in alexandrines, each line perfectly balanced.
- The student struggled to scan the alexandrine because of its twelve-syllable rhythm.
adjective
- Relating to or written in alexandrine verse.
- She studied the alexandrine structure of classical French drama.
- His translation preserved the alexandrine form of the original.
- The alexandrine meter gave the poem a formal, stately feel.