alexandrin

l'alexandrin (FR N-M) in poetry, a twelve-syllable line formed of six iambs, usually with a caesura after the third iamb, the most common meter in French poetry, thought the most appropriate for epic poetry, such as li romans d'Alexandre (The Story of Alexander, 12th c.), continued from 10-syllable lines (by another author) by Alexandre de Bernay (or de Paris, 1158 – early 13th c.), thus the name »alexandrin« is derived from both subject and author. Revived and applied to lyric poetry by…