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Alexandriad

Genre
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A narrative poem of heroic proportions written primarily in alexandrine verse

Detailed Definition
Alexandriad is an epic poem written in Alexandrine verse—typically twelve-syllable iambic lines—modeled on classical epics but using French or English adaptations; the term evokes grandeur and formal rigor, as in Racine’s tragedies or later neoclassical long poems.
Example
Example in poetry:
Alexander Pope’s "The Rape of the Lock" parodies epic form in heroic couplets—mock Alexandriad; Derek Walcott’s "Omeros" reimagines Homeric scale in Caribbean context; Contemporary long poems like Anne Carson’s "Autobiography of Red" echo Alexandriad ambition; The term sometimes refers to any poem celebrating a hero named Alexander; True Alexandriads emulate classical epic scope and diction.
Additional Notes
Epic poem imitating or responding to the Alexandreid. Medieval form celebrating Alexander the Great. Compare with Alexandrine meter used in French epic.
Also Known As
Alexandrian epic Long heroic verse Extended narrative Epic Alexandrine sequence
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