106:. allow a broader scope: "Strictly speaking, the term 'alexandrine' is appropriate to French syllabic meters, and it may be applied to other metrical systems only where they too espouse syllabism as their principle, introduce phrasal accentuation, or rigorously observe the medial caesura, as in French." Common usage within the literatures of European languages is broader still, embracing lines syllabic, accentual-syllabic, and (inevitably) stationed ambivalently between the two; lines of 12, 13, or even 14 syllables; lines with obligatory, predominant, and optional caesurae.
140:
27:
264:
126:
280:
614:
in the 19th century. Its structure forms a halfway point between features usual in syllabic and in accentual-syllabic verse, being more highly constrained than most syllabic verse, and less so than most accentual-syllabic verse. Moreover, it equally encourages the very different rhythms of iambic
86:
However, no tradition remains this simple. Each applies additional constraints (such as obligatory stress or nonstress on certain syllables) and options (such as a permitted or required additional syllable at the end of one or both hemistichs). Thus a line that is metrical in one tradition may be
671:
Although deriving from native folk versification, it is possible that this line, and the related 6-syllable line, were influenced by Latin or
Romance examples. When employed in 4-line or 8-line stanzas and riming in couplets, this is called the Hungarian alexandrine; it is the Hungarian
344:, they have more often featured alongside other lines. During the Middle Ages they typically occurred with heptameters (seven-beat lines), both exhibiting metrical looseness. Around the mid-16th century stricter alexandrines were popular as the first line of poulter's measure couplets,
496:
pioneered syllabic Dutch alexandrines on the French model, but within a few decades Dutch alexandrines had been transformed into strict iambic hexameters with a caesura after the third foot. From
Holland the accentual-syllabic alexandrine spread to other continental literatures.
563:
advocated for a strict accentual-syllabic iambic alexandrine in imitation of contemporary Dutch practice — and German poets followed Opitz. The alexandrine (strictly iambic with a consistent medial caesura) became the dominant long line of the German baroque.
702:("That's an alexandrine!"/"He's an Alexandrian!"). The pun can also be heard in the theatrical adaptations. The English translation renders this as "My dear old Getafix || I hope I find you well", with the reply "An Alexandrine".
384:
lines followed by one alexandrine, exemplifies what came to be its chief role: as a somewhat infrequent variant line in an otherwise iambic pentameter context. Alexandrines provide occasional variation in the
102:
The term "alexandrine" may be used with greater or lesser rigour. Peureux suggests that only French syllabic verse with a 6+6 structure is, strictly speaking, an alexandrine. Preminger
694:, the author Goscinny inserted a pun about alexandrines: when the Druid Panoramix ("Getafix" in the English translation) meets his Alexandrian (Egyptian) friend the latter exclaims
315:
Whereas the French alexandrine is syllabic, the
English is accentual-syllabic; and the central caesura (a defining feature of the French) is not always rigidly preserved in English.
153:
BaĂŻf is often credited with the reintroduction of the alexandrine in the mid-16th century. Hugo declared the classical alexandrine to have been "dislocated" by his use of the
222:
began the process of loosening the strict two-hemistich structure. While retaining the medial caesura, he often reduced it to a mere word-break, creating a three-part line (
171:
for cultural prominence and use in various genres. "The alexandrine came into its own in the middle of the sixteenth century with the poets of the
163:
Although alexandrines occurred in French verse as early as the 12th century, they were slightly looser rhythmically, and vied with the
236:
further weakened the classical structure, sometimes eliminating any or all of these caesurae. However, at no point did the newer line
295:
Spenser added one alexandrine to his iambic pentameter stanza; Drayton composed the longest work entirely in
English alexandrines.
578:
Unlike many similar lines, the Polish alexandrine developed not from French verse but from Latin, specifically, the 13-syllable
665:(the older and more traditional style, known as "national") or quantitatively. One of the national lines has a 6+6 structure:
1390:
1286:
1198:
466:
was most prominent during the 13th and 14th centuries, after which time it was eclipsed by the metrically more flexible
318:
Though
English alexandrines have occasionally provided the sole metrical line for a poem, for example in lyric poems by
585:
Latin goliardic: o o o s S s s | o o o s S s Polish alexandrine: o o o o o S s | o o o s S s s=unstressed syllable
1367:
1263:
965:
1317:
1229:
397:
and his contemporaries and followers likewise occasionally employed them as the second (rarely the first) line of
588:
Though looser instances of this (nominally) 13-syllable line were occasionally used in Polish literature, it was
240:
the older; rather, they were used concurrently, often in the same poem. This loosening process eventually led to
64:
610:
The Czech alexandrine is a comparatively recent development, based on the French alexandrine and introduced by
319:
20:
439:
is a line of 7+7 syllables, probably developed in imitation of the French alexandrine. Its structure is:
1297:
1243:
1209:
542:
1434:
80:(a metrical pause or word break, which may or may not be realized as a stronger syntactic break):
1439:
1414:
1171:
556:
393:
and his contemporaries (but rarely; they constitute only about 1% of
Shakespeare's blank verse).
957:
596:
who, in the 16th century, introduced the syllabically strict line as a vehicle for major works.
131:
1424:
1419:
1409:
1354:
1349:
1309:
1221:
1214:
1429:
690:
447:
58:
615:
hexameter and dactylic tetrameter to emerge by preserving the constants of both measures:
611:
8:
390:
345:
30:
139:
1329:
1255:
950:
573:
403:
115:
53:
1386:
1363:
1336:
1313:
1302:
1282:
1259:
1248:
1225:
1194:
1175:
961:
932:
605:
477:
381:
373:
677:
559:
advocated for an alexandrine with free rhythms, reflecting French practice; whereas
1239:
493:
233:
928:
593:
536:
337:
327:
201:
1281:(Fourth ed.). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. 1333–43.
1193:(Fourth ed.). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. 1347–48.
981:
662:
408:
398:
377:
205:
49:
45:
26:
1385:(Fourth ed.). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. 35–36.
589:
301:
In
English verse, "alexandrine" is typically used to mean "iambic hexameter":
1403:
1378:
1340:
1274:
1186:
323:
411:
denounced (and parodied) the excessive and unskillful use of this practice:
125:
673:
560:
263:
176:
91:
421:
That, like a wounded snake, drags its slow length along. (lines 354-357)
394:
386:
332:
219:
180:
145:
312:¦=often a mandatory or predominant caesura, but depends upon the author
90:
Where the alexandrine has been adopted, it has frequently served as the
1335:. Translated by Morley, S. Griswold. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
468:
246:
175:
and was firmly established in the seventeenth century." It became the
172:
62:
of 1170, although it had already been used several decades earlier in
473:
94:
form of that language or culture, English being a notable exception.
69:
401:, or even more distinctively as the third line of a triplet. In his
351:
The strict
English alexandrine may be exemplified by a passage from
279:
52:
structures, most of which are ultimately derived from the classical
209:
73:
738:
579:
229:
o o o S | o o ¦ o S | o o o S (e) |=strong caesura; ¦=word break
197:
184:
77:
1177:
English Verse: Specimens
Illustrating its Principles and History
190:
o o o o o S | o o o o o S (e) S=stressed syllable; (e)=optional
213:
56:. The line's name derives from its use in the Medieval French
1031:
1125:
1358:. In Preminger, Alex; Brogan, T.V.F.; et al. (eds.).
1064:
1062:
1060:
1058:
849:
837:
827:
825:
369:
The agèd world's descents, and genealogies; (lines 31-34)
1273:
Gaylord, M. M.; Mayhew, J. (2012). "Poetry of Spain". In
997:
995:
810:
363:
Ye sacred Bards, that to ¦ your harps' melodious strings
355:, which features a rare caesural enjambment (symbolized
33:
in a diving bell: a scene from the line's namesake, the
1149:
1098:
1086:
1074:
1055:
1043:
1019:
909:
897:
885:
822:
728:
726:
348:(strict iambic heptameters) providing the second line.
187:. The structure of the classical French alexandrine is
1115:
1113:
992:
798:
786:
774:
762:
750:
365:
Sung th'ancient Heroes' deeds (the monuments of Kings)
68:. The foundation of most alexandrines consists of two
1007:
937:. Vol. 1. London: John Russell Smith. p. 2.
509:
Als ick daer buyten ben, dan ben ick gans geschonden…
1360:
The New
Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
1347:
956:. Berkeley: University of California Press. p.
873:
861:
744:
723:
711:
524:
When I in love am not, shame doth me quite confound.
484:, though other verse forms also appear in the work.
83:
o o o o o o | o o o o o o o=any syllable; |=caesura
1137:
1110:
526:
Say then, what shall I do? My freedom would I gain,
513:
Soo ick ontbonden ben, soo meerdert doch mijn pijn…
367:
And in your dreadful verse ingrav'd the prophecies,
196:Classical alexandrines are always rhymed, often in
1353:
1328:
1301:
1247:
1213:
949:
696:Je suis, mon cher ami, || très heureux de te voir
1401:
1383:The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
1308:. New York: New York University Press. pp.
1279:The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
1220:. New York: New York University Press. pp.
1191:The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
680:, this became the dominant Hungarian verseform.
507:Als ick in liefde ben, dan ben ick als gebonden,
676:form. Beginning with the 16th-century verse of
661:Hungarian metrical verse may be written either
528:But when I freedom get the greater is my pain.
511:Wat doe ick doch aldus? ontbonden wil ick zijn,
417:With some unmeaning thing they call a thought,
1377:Peureux, Guillaume (2012). "Alexandrine". In
1272:
1037:
451:(clerical verse), typically occurring in the
44:is a name used for several distinct types of
1185:Clarke, D. C. (2012). "Spanish Prosody". In
16:Line of poetic meter comprising 12 syllables
522:Whenas I am in love, in fetters am I bound,
505:
1208:Flescher, Jacqueline (1972). "French". In
555:Similarly, in early 17th-century Germany,
415:Then at the last and only couplet fraught
1381:; Cushman, Stephen; et al. (eds.).
1277:; Cushman, Stephen; et al. (eds.).
1238:
1207:
1189:; Cushman, Stephen; et al. (eds.).
1155:
1131:
1104:
1092:
1080:
1068:
1049:
1025:
855:
843:
831:
816:
804:
792:
780:
768:
756:
25:
1376:
1362:. New York: MJF Books. pp. 30–31.
1326:
1013:
927:
732:
717:
208:, though other configurations (such as
1402:
1184:
1001:
947:
1170:
934:The Complete Works of Michael Drayton
915:
903:
891:
879:
867:
480:is one of the best-known examples of
445:It was used beginning about 1200 for
419:A needless Alexandrine ends the song,
1295:
1143:
1119:
988:. Oxford, UK: Oxford UP. p. 28.
980:
683:
499:
97:
1304:Versification: Major Language Types
1250:A History of European Versification
1216:Versification: Major Language Types
1180:. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
13:
745:Preminger, Scott & Brogan 1993
425:
14:
1451:
326:, and in two notable long poems,
1296:Lotz, John (1972). "Uralic". In
308:, a strong syllabic position; Ă—=
304:× / × / × / ¦ × / × / × / (×) /=
278:
262:
138:
124:
1331:A History of Spanish Literature
986:Alexander Pope: The Major Works
974:
941:
931:(1876). Hooper, Richard (ed.).
921:
1254:. Translated by Smith, G. S.;
442:o o o o o S o | o o o o o S o
179:for the prestigious genres of
1:
1164:
459:all with a single end-rhyme.
698:at which Panoramix observes
656:
380:, with its stanzas of eight
320:Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
65:Le Pèlerinage de Charlemagne
21:Alexandrine (disambiguation)
7:
1352:; Brogan, T. V. F. (1993).
1258:. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
984:(1993). Rogers, Pat (ed.).
10:
1456:
952:Shakespeare's Metrical Art
948:Wright, George T. (1988).
668:o o o o o o | o o o o o o
603:
571:
492:The mid-16th-century poet
430:
253:
113:
18:
1038:Gaylord & Mayhew 2012
642:Czech alexandrine: o o
630:dactylic tetrameter: S s
618:iambic hexameter: s S
567:
550:
543:Leofranc Holford-Strevens
109:
1327:Mérimée, Ernest (1930).
1172:Alden, Raymond Macdonald
705:
599:
487:
285:Title page of Drayton's
269:Title page of Spenser's
557:Georg Rudolf Weckherlin
226:) with this structure:
87:unmetrical in another.
1242:(1996). Smith, G. S.;
520:
506:
503:
38:
691:Asterix and Cleopatra
359:) in the first line:
76:each, separated by a
29:
1244:Holford-Strevens, L.
132:Jean-Antoine de BaĂŻf
72:(half-lines) of six
19:For other uses, see
1256:Tarlinskaja, Marina
1134:, pp. 258–259.
700:C'est un Alexandrin
455:, a stanza of four
391:William Shakespeare
224:alexandrin ternaire
216:) are also common.
155:alexandrin ternaire
31:Alexander the Great
918:, pp. 252–54.
906:, pp. 257–59.
894:, pp. 256–57.
688:In the comic book
574:Polish alexandrine
448:mester de clerecĂa
404:Essay on Criticism
342:Fifine at the Fair
116:French alexandrine
54:French alexandrine
48:line with related
39:
1392:978-0-691-13334-8
1348:Preminger, Alex;
1288:978-0-691-13334-8
1200:978-0-691-13334-8
858:, p. 186-87.
846:, p. 184-86.
819:, p. 183-84.
684:Modern references
612:Karel Hynek Mácha
606:Czech alexandrine
548:
547:
478:Book of Good Love
437:verso alejandrino
382:iambic pentameter
374:The Faerie Queene
98:Scope of the term
59:Roman d'Alexandre
35:Roman d'Alexandre
1447:
1396:
1373:
1357:
1344:
1334:
1323:
1307:
1292:
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1253:
1235:
1219:
1204:
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978:
972:
971:
955:
945:
939:
938:
929:Drayton, Michael
925:
919:
913:
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901:
895:
889:
883:
877:
871:
865:
859:
853:
847:
841:
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802:
796:
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784:
778:
772:
766:
760:
754:
748:
742:
736:
730:
721:
715:
515:
500:
494:Jan van der Noot
358:
282:
266:
202:masculine rhymes
142:
128:
1455:
1454:
1450:
1449:
1448:
1446:
1445:
1444:
1435:Types of verses
1400:
1399:
1393:
1370:
1320:
1289:
1266:
1240:Gasparov, M. L.
1232:
1201:
1167:
1162:
1154:
1150:
1142:
1138:
1130:
1126:
1118:
1111:
1103:
1099:
1091:
1087:
1079:
1075:
1067:
1056:
1048:
1044:
1040:, p. 1334.
1036:
1032:
1024:
1020:
1012:
1008:
1004:, p. 1347.
1000:
993:
982:Pope, Alexander
979:
975:
968:
946:
942:
926:
922:
914:
910:
902:
898:
890:
886:
878:
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866:
862:
854:
850:
842:
838:
830:
823:
815:
811:
803:
799:
791:
787:
779:
775:
767:
763:
755:
751:
743:
739:
731:
724:
716:
712:
708:
686:
669:
659:
654:
608:
602:
594:Jan Kochanowski
586:
576:
570:
553:
541:—Translated by
537:Daniel Heinsius
530:
527:
525:
523:
517:
512:
510:
508:
490:
443:
433:
428:
426:Other languages
423:
420:
418:
416:
399:heroic couplets
371:
368:
366:
364:
356:
338:Robert Browning
328:Michael Drayton
313:
299:
298:
297:
296:
292:
291:
290:
283:
275:
274:
267:
256:
244:and finally to
230:
206:feminine rhymes
194:
161:
160:
159:
158:
150:
149:
148:
143:
135:
134:
129:
118:
112:
100:
84:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1453:
1443:
1442:
1440:Sonnet studies
1437:
1432:
1427:
1422:
1417:
1415:Spanish poetry
1412:
1398:
1397:
1391:
1379:Greene, Roland
1374:
1368:
1345:
1324:
1318:
1298:Wimsatt, W. K.
1293:
1287:
1275:Greene, Roland
1270:
1264:
1236:
1230:
1210:Wimsatt, W. K.
1205:
1199:
1187:Greene, Roland
1182:
1166:
1163:
1161:
1160:
1158:, p. 259.
1148:
1146:, p. 102.
1136:
1124:
1122:, p. 101.
1109:
1107:, p. 220.
1097:
1095:, p. 222.
1085:
1083:, p. 196.
1073:
1071:, p. 194.
1054:
1052:, p. 193.
1042:
1030:
1028:, p. 138.
1018:
1006:
991:
973:
966:
940:
920:
908:
896:
884:
882:, p. 256.
872:
870:, p. 255.
860:
848:
836:
834:, p. 133.
821:
809:
807:, p. 183.
797:
795:, p. 179.
785:
783:, p. 131.
773:
771:, p. 177.
761:
759:, p. 181.
749:
737:
722:
709:
707:
704:
685:
682:
678:Bálint Balassi
667:
658:
655:
617:
604:Main article:
601:
598:
584:
572:Main article:
569:
566:
552:
549:
546:
545:
539:
532:
531:
518:
489:
486:
441:
432:
429:
427:
424:
413:
409:Alexander Pope
378:Edmund Spenser
361:
303:
294:
293:
284:
277:
276:
268:
261:
260:
259:
258:
257:
255:
252:
228:
189:
177:preferred line
152:
151:
144:
137:
136:
130:
123:
122:
121:
120:
119:
114:Main article:
111:
108:
99:
96:
82:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1452:
1441:
1438:
1436:
1433:
1431:
1428:
1426:
1425:Polish poetry
1423:
1421:
1420:German poetry
1418:
1416:
1413:
1411:
1410:French poetry
1408:
1407:
1405:
1394:
1388:
1384:
1380:
1375:
1371:
1369:1-56731-152-0
1365:
1361:
1356:
1355:"Alexandrine"
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1342:
1338:
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1265:0-19-815879-3
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1157:
1156:Gasparov 1996
1152:
1145:
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1133:
1132:Gasparov 1996
1128:
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1105:Gasparov 1996
1101:
1094:
1093:Gasparov 1996
1089:
1082:
1081:Gasparov 1996
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1069:Gasparov 1996
1065:
1063:
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1059:
1051:
1050:Gasparov 1996
1046:
1039:
1034:
1027:
1026:Gasparov 1996
1022:
1016:, p. 39.
1015:
1010:
1003:
998:
996:
987:
983:
977:
969:
967:0-520-07642-7
963:
959:
954:
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869:
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857:
856:Flescher 1972
852:
845:
844:Flescher 1972
840:
833:
832:Gasparov 1996
828:
826:
818:
817:Flescher 1972
813:
806:
805:Flescher 1972
801:
794:
793:Flescher 1972
789:
782:
781:Gasparov 1996
777:
770:
769:Flescher 1972
765:
758:
757:Flescher 1972
753:
747:, p. 31.
746:
741:
735:, p. 36.
734:
729:
727:
720:, p. 35.
719:
714:
710:
703:
701:
697:
693:
692:
681:
679:
675:
666:
664:
653:
649:
645:
641:
637:
633:
629:
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621:
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583:
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558:
544:
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335:
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329:
325:
324:Philip Sidney
321:
316:
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288:
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272:
271:Faerie Queene
265:
251:
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133:
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117:
107:
105:
95:
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67:
66:
61:
60:
55:
51:
47:
43:
36:
32:
28:
22:
1430:Czech poetry
1382:
1359:
1350:Scott, Clive
1330:
1319:08147-9155-7
1303:
1278:
1249:
1231:08147-9155-7
1215:
1190:
1176:
1151:
1139:
1127:
1100:
1088:
1076:
1045:
1033:
1021:
1014:Mérimée 1930
1009:
985:
976:
951:
943:
933:
923:
911:
899:
887:
875:
863:
851:
839:
812:
800:
788:
776:
764:
752:
740:
733:Peureux 2012
718:Peureux 2012
713:
699:
695:
689:
687:
674:heroic verse
670:
663:syllabically
660:
651:
647:
643:
639:
635:
631:
627:
623:
619:
609:
587:
577:
561:Martin Opitz
554:
521:
504:
491:
482:cuaderna vĂa
481:
467:
463:
461:
457:alejandrinos
456:
453:cuaderna vĂa
452:
446:
444:
436:
435:The Spanish
434:
414:
402:
372:
362:
352:
350:
341:
331:
317:
314:
309:
305:
300:
286:
270:
245:
241:
237:
231:
223:
218:
200:alternating
195:
191:
168:
164:
162:
154:
103:
101:
92:heroic verse
89:
85:
63:
57:
41:
40:
34:
1002:Clarke 2012
590:Mikołaj Rej
464:alejandrino
395:John Dryden
387:blank verse
353:Poly-Olbion
346:fourteeners
333:Poly-Olbion
289:(1612/1622)
287:Poly-Olbion
273:(1590/1596)
242:vers libéré
220:Victor Hugo
169:octosyllabe
165:décasyllabe
146:Victor Hugo
42:Alexandrine
1404:Categories
1165:References
916:Alden 1903
904:Alden 1903
892:Alden 1903
880:Alden 1903
868:Alden 1903
469:arte mayor
247:vers libre
234:Symbolists
70:hemistichs
1341:976918756
1144:Lotz 1972
1120:Lotz 1972
657:Hungarian
580:goliardic
474:Juan Ruiz
210:quatrains
74:syllables
1246:(eds.).
1174:(1903).
646:o | o o
634:s | S s
622:S | s S
322:and Sir
310:nonictus
198:couplets
50:metrical
1310:100–121
1300:(ed.).
1212:(ed.).
431:Spanish
254:English
238:replace
214:sonnets
185:tragedy
173:Pléiade
78:caesura
1389:
1366:
1339:
1316:
1285:
1262:
1228:
1222:177–90
1197:
964:
582:line:
568:Polish
551:German
192:mute e
110:French
706:Notes
648:s S s
644:s S s
636:s S s
632:s S s
624:s S s
620:s S s
600:Czech
488:Dutch
306:ictus
104:et al
46:verse
1387:ISBN
1364:ISBN
1337:OCLC
1314:ISBN
1283:ISBN
1260:ISBN
1226:ISBN
1195:ISBN
962:ISBN
592:and
462:The
336:and
232:The
212:and
204:and
183:and
181:epic
167:and
958:143
652:(s)
640:(s)
628:(s)
476:'s
389:of
376:by
340:'s
330:'s
1406::
1312:.
1224:.
1112:^
1057:^
994:^
960:.
824:^
725:^
650:o
638:s
626:S
472:.
407:,
250:.
1395:.
1372:.
1343:.
1322:.
1291:.
1268:.
1234:.
1203:.
970:.
535:—
357:¦
157:.
37:.
23:.
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