Alexandrini

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A poetic form consisting of twelve syllables per line, typically used in French literature for its rhythmic elegance
2. A type of verse characterized by two hemistichs of six syllables, often associated with classical themes and narratives
3. A literary structure featuring lines composed of six syllables each, creating a melodic flow favored in certain poetic traditions

Etymology: The line takes its name from Alexander the Great. Medieval French poets wrote a long romance about his life, the "Roman d'Alexandre," in lines of twelve syllables, and that metre came to be called after the hero. The Latin-style plural in your request, "alexandrini," is the form of "alexandrinus," meaning "of Alexander," and the English singular comes from the same stem. The name is a reminder that the metre was not always marked as a French invention. Its label came from the subject matter of the poem that made it famous, not from any feature of the verse itself. English writers later borrowed the metre along with its name, and it became a standard line in French classical drama, where the twelve-syllable line dominated for centuries.