In Spanish poetry the verse-line must contain some definite number of
syllables, as in the following six-syllabled lines:
_En_ | _es_ | _ta_ | _dis_ | _pu_ | _ta,_
_Lle_ | _gan_ | _do_ | _los_ | _pe_ | _rros,_
_Pi_ | _llan_ | _des_ | _cui_ | _da_ | _dos_
_Á_ | _mis_ | _dos_ | _co_ | _ne_ | _jos._
In the syllabic division of words, a single consonant, or any group of
consonants that may begin a word,[A] goes with the following vowel.
[A] These are _bl_, _br_, _cl_, _cr_, _dr_, _fl_, _fr_, _gl_, _gr_,
_pl_, _pr_, and _tr_. Note also that _ch_, _ll_, _ñ_, and _rr_ are
considered single consonants. But a prepositional prefix, except before
_s_+consonant, forms a separate syllable: _des_ | _a_ | _gra_ | _da_ |
_ble_, _in_ | _a_ | _ni_ | _ma_ | _do_, but _cons_ | _tan_ | _te_.
The final vowel of one word, and the initial vowel of the next word in
the same line, usually form one syllable:
_De_ | _su_ | _ma_ | _dri_ | _gue_ | _ra_
_Sa_ | _lió^un_ | _com_ | _pa_ | _ñe_ | _ro,_
_Y_ | _le_ | _di_ | _jo:--_ | _¡Ten_ | _te!_
_A_ | _mi_ | _go,_ | _¿Qué^es_ | _es_ | _to?_
A verse-line contains one or more rhythmic stresses. By rhythmic stress
is meant the more important metrical accent that falls (1) always upon
the last accented syllable of a line, and (2) near the middle of a line
of ten or more syllables. In the following line there are eight
syllables and one rhythmic stress:
_Á_ | _pe_ | _sar_ | _de_ | _su_ | _vi_ | _ve_ | _za_.
The following line has eleven syllables and two rhythmic stresses:
_ai_ | _re_ | _de^a_ | _ro_ | _mas,_ | _flo_ | _res_ | _a_ | _pi_ | _ña_ | _das_.
The strongly marked rhythmic beat of English and German verse occurs
rarely in Spanish. The syllables of a verse-line should be read evenly,
with the exception of a slight emphasis and rest upon the word that
bears the rhythmic stress.
Verse may be blank (unrhymed) or rhymed. If it is rhymed, the rhyme may
be (1) both vocalic and consonantal (_viv_=eza=, _trist_=eza=,
_pur_=eza=, or _hon_=or=, _volad_=or=, _ol_=or=, etc.), or (2) it may be
merely vocalic (assonance), in which the vowels alone are rhymed
(_p_=e=_rr_=o=_s_, _con_=e=_j_=o=, _compañ_=e=_r_=o=, =e=_st_=o=, or
_much_=a=_ch_=o=, =á=_rb_=o=_l_, etc.).