Talk:Alexandrine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, now in the public domain.

	Alexandrine is part of WikiProject Poetry, a WikiProject related to Poetry.
???	This article has not yet received a rating on the quality scale.
???	This article has not yet received a rating on the importance scale.

	France Portal Alexandrine is within the scope of WikiProject France, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to France on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please join the project and help with our open tasks.
???	This article has not yet received a rating on the quality scale. Please rate the article and then leave a short summary here to explain the ratings and/or to identify the strengths and weaknesses.

Little agreement seems to exist over the origins of the six iambic footed Alexandrine. Some attribute its origin to Dryden's 17th century poem: 'Ode To The Feast Of Alexander'. This, however, is improbable as the Alexandrine is thought to be much older. Others date it to a 12th century collection of romances on 'Alexander Of Macedon'. Yet others to a poet whose name was Alexander, while others still take it as far back as Alexander Severus, Emperor of Rome. Whatever the truth, there is little doubt that it is a form that has experienced no small degree of popularity. Some examples of this form are as follows, (the second part, after the last comma, is the Alexandrine):

'Man may not augment, Where necessity fair resolves with false content.'

'When first begun, remote seems far away, But continuing much - much nearer seems as day.'

'Vanity, thou art a human failing, First relieved of the gods and next of holiness.'

[edit] French in English Wikipedia

The paragraph "Syllabic verse" use French poetry as example. Isn't there English poetry using syllabic verse? This is English Wikipedia, I guess much users do not understand French, and I guess English poetry is rich enougth to find suitable examples.