twelvesyllable

Twelvesyllable is a term used in poetry to describe a line that contains twelve syllables. In some traditions the line is called a dodecasyllable; in others the French term alexandrine is used for a twelve-syllable line, especially in discussions of classical French poetry. The alexandrine is typically divided into two hemistichs of six syllables each, with a caesura after the sixth syllable, and it is a staple of epic and tragedy in French verse.

In English, twelve-syllable lines occur but are not a formalized meter. They appear mainly in translations of French alexandrines or as a stylistic device in longer narrative lines, where poets may alternate with shorter meters or use the twelve-syllable line to achieve an epic or ceremonious tone. Modern usages vary in stress patterns and may be iambic, anapestic, or otherwise irregular.

Counting syllables in English verse is sensitive to pronunciation and elision, so the same line may be counted differently by readers. In other languages, the counts tend to be more stable. The concept of a twelve-syllable line intersects with other long-line meters such as the dodecasyllable and the hendecasyllable (11 syllables).