Edmund Spenser · English Literature

What is the meter and length of the final line in a Spenserian stanza?

  1. Iambic pentameter (10 syllables)
  2. Iambic hexameter, also called an Alexandrine (12 syllables)
  3. Dactylic hexameter (15 syllables)
  4. Anapestic tetrameter (8 syllables)
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Correct answer: Iambic hexameter, also called an Alexandrine (12 syllables)

The ninth line of a Spenserian stanza is an Alexandrine, or iambic hexameter, containing twelve syllables. This extra foot provides a rhythmic swell that concludes the stanza with a sense of formal weight and finality.

Difficulty: Medium Question 8 of 20

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