heroic verse

heroic verse
a form of verse adapted to the treatment of heroic or exalted themes: in classical poetry, dactylic hexameter; in English and German, iambic pentameter; and in French, the Alexandrine. An example of heroic verse is Achilles' wrath, to Greece the direful spring / Of woes unnumbered, heavenly goddess, sing!
[1610-20]

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also called  heroic metre  or  heroic line 

      the verse form in which the heroic poetry of a particular language is, or according to critical opinion should be, composed. In classical poetry this was dactylic hexameter, in French the alexandrine, in Italian the hendecasyllabic line, and in English iambic pentameter.

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  • Heroic verse — consists of the rhymed iambic line or heroic couplet. The term is used in English exclusively.In ancient literature, heroic verse was synonymous with the dactylic hexameter. It was in this measure that those typically heroic poems, the Iliad and… …   Wikipedia

  • Heroic verse — Heroic He*ro ic, a. [F. h[ e]ro[ i]que, L. hero[ i]cus, Gr. ?.] 1. Of or pertaining to, or like, a hero; of the nature of heroes; distinguished by the existence of heroes; as, the heroic age; an heroic people; heroic valor. [1913 Webster] 2.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Heroic verse — Verse Verse, n. [OE. vers, AS. fers, L. versus a line in writing, and, in poetry, a verse, from vertere, versum, to turn, to turn round; akin to E. worth to become: cf. F. vers. See {Worth} to become, and cf. {Advertise}, {Averse}, {Controversy} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • heroic verse — n. the verse form in which epic poetry is traditionally written, as dactylic hexameter in Greek or Latin, the alexandrine in French, and iambic pentameter in English …   English World dictionary

  • heroic verse — /həˌroʊɪk ˈvɜs/ (say huh.rohik vers) noun a form of verse adapted to the treatment of heroic or exalted themes; in classical poetry, the hexameter; in English, German, and Italian, the iambic of ten syllables; and in French, the Alexandrine… …  

  • heroic verse — noun a verse form suited to the treatment of heroic or elevated themes; dactylic hexameter or iambic pentameter • Syn: ↑heroic meter, ↑heroic • Hypernyms: ↑epic poem, ↑heroic poem, ↑epic, ↑epos …   Useful english dictionary

  • heroic verse — noun Date: 1586 1. dactylic hexameter especially of epic verse of classical times called also heroic meter 2. the iambic pentameter used especially in English epic poetry during the 17th and 18th centuries called also heroic line, heroic meter …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • heroic verse — hero′ic verse′ n. pro a form of verse adapted to the treatment of heroic or exalted themes: in classical poetry, dactylic hexameter; in English and German, iambic pentameter; and in French, the Alexandrine …   From formal English to slang

  • heroic verse — noun a type of verse used for epic or heroic subjects, such as the iambic pentameter …   English new terms dictionary

  • heroic verse — noun any of several forms of verse used in epic or dramatic poetry …   Wiktionary

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