Alexandrine: A metrical line of six feet or twelve syllables (in english), originally from french heroic verse. Randle cotgrave in his 1611 french-english dictionary explains: 'alexandrin. A verse of 12, or 13 sillables.' in his 'essay on criticism,' alexander pope says, 'a needless alexandrine ends the song / that like a wounded snake, drags its slow length along' (359). Examples include michael drayton's 'polyolbion,' robert bridges' 'testament of beauty,' and the last line of each stanza in thomas hardy's 'the convergence of the twain.'

 

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Alexandrine: A metrical line of six feet or twelve syllables (in english), originally from french heroic verse. Randle cotgrave in his 1611 french-english dictionary explains: 'alexandrin. A verse of 12, . . . View Full Definition

Choriamb: Greek and latin metrical foot consisting of long, short, short, and long syllables / ' ~ ~ ' /: also an iambic alexandrine line with a spondee or trochee instead of an iambus in the sixth fo . . . View Full Definition

Iambic Trimeter: A classical greek and latin metre with three iambic feet (also known in english as the alexandrine).

Spenserian Stanza: The unit of edmund spenser's faerie queene, consisting of eight iambic-pentameter lines and a final alexandrine, and having the rhyme scheme ababbcbcc, or two interlaced quatrains overlappin . . . View Full Definition