I shall not attempt to list the innumerable verse-forms to be found in
Spanish poetry, but shall only indicate the forms used by Espronceda in
the selections contained in this volume. Some of these are fixed and
conventional, and others are of his own contrivance. Spanish uses the
terms _estrofa_ and _copla_ to designate an arrangement of verses in a
stanza. _Copla_ must not be confused with English "couplet." These are
general terms; most verse-forms are designated by special names. The
following verse-forms are found in the selections contained in this
book:
"EL ESTUDIANTE DE SALAMANCA"
Lines 1-40. Ballad meter or _verso de romance_ (8 syllables) with
assonance in _é_-_a_.
Lines 41-48. _Verso de romance_ with assonance in _ó_.
Lines 49-63. Irregular 3-syllable meter with assonance in _ó_ occurring
irregularly; lines 53 and 55 rime, and 59 and 61 assonate in _é-a_.
Lines 64-75. _Verso de romance_ with assonance in _ó_.
Lines 76-99. Quatrains or _cuartetas_ of 12-syllable verse; rime-scheme
_abab_ (this arrangement of the rime is called _rima cruzada_);
alternation of masculine and feminine rime.
Lines 100-139. _Octavillas italianas_ (8-syllable verse); lines 2 and
3, 6 and 7, 4 and 8 rime; lines 1 and 5 either assonate or are blank
(_sueltos_).
Lines 140-179. _Octavas reales_ (11-syllable verse); rime-scheme
_abababcc_; the rimes must be feminine.
Lines 180-257. _Verso de romance_, printed in the form of _cuartetas_;
assonance in _á-a_.
Lines 258-302. _Quintillas_ (8-syllable verse); the rime-scheme varies;
the rule is that there shall be two rimes to a _quintilla_, and the same
rime must not occur in three consecutive verses.
Lines 303-330. _Cuartetas_ (11-syllable verse); rime-scheme _abab_;
occasionally assonance replaces rime in the even verses.
Lines 331-338. _Octava real_.
Lines 339-370. _Cuartetas_ (11-syllable verse).
Lines 371-418. _Octavas reales_.
Lines 419-434. _Cuartetas_ (11-syllable verse).
Lines 435-454. _Verso de romance_, printed as _cuartetas_; assonance in
_á_.
Lines 455-558. _Redondillas_ (8-syllable verse); rime-scheme _abba_;
this arrangement of rimes is called _versos pareados en el centro_.
Lines 559-578. _Cuartetas_ (11-syllable verse); _rima cruzada_.
Lines 579-590. _Redondillas_.
Lines 591-600. _Décima_ (8-syllable verse); rime-scheme _abbaaccddc_.
Lines 601-692. _Redondillas_.
Lines 693-792. _Cuartetas_ (12-syllable verse); odd verses rime; the
even either form a masculine rime or are in assonance.
Lines 793-820. _Cuartetas_ (8-syllable verse); the rime-scheme varies:
some _coplas_ are _redondillas_; others have the crossed rime.
Lines 821-884. _Cuartetas_ of 12-syllable verse resumed; same
rime-scheme as above.
Lines 885-894. _Quintillas_ (8-syllable verse); rime-scheme _abaab_.
Lines 895-910. _Cuartetas_ (11-syllable verse); rime-scheme either
_abba_ or _abab_.
Lines 911-938. _Cuartetas_ of 12-syllable verse; rime-scheme _abab_;
even verses form either a masculine rime or assonance.
Lines 939-942. _Cuarteta_ (11-syllable verse); even verses in assonance;
the odd verses rime.
Lines 943-961. Irregular meter (6-syllable verse); a mixture of rime,
assonance, and blank verse.
Lines 962-1033. _Verso de romance_; assonance in _á_.
Lines 1034-1063. _Quintillas_.
Lines 1064-1115. _Cuartetas_ (12-syllable verse); rime in the odd
verses; assonance or masculine rime in the even.
Lines 1116-1145. _Quintillas_.
Lines 1146-1149. _Cuarteta_ (11-syllable verse); rime-scheme _abab_.
Lines 1150-1164. _Quintillas_.
Lines 1165-1196. _Cuartetas_ (11-syllable verse); rime-scheme _abab_;
feminine rime.
Lines 1197-1364. _Octavas reales_.
Lines 1365-1384. _Quintillas_.
Lines 1385-1390. Irregular blending of 2-and 3-syllable meter; assonance
and rime; the _crescendo_ effect begins here.
Lines 1391-1399. Irregular 4-syllable meter; assonance and rime.
Lines 1400-1412. Irregular 5-syllable meter; assonance, rime, and blank
verse.
Lines 1413-1439. Irregular 6-syllable meter; assonance, rime, blank
verse.
Lines 1440-1447. Irregular 7-syllable meter; assonance, rime, blank
verse.
Lines 1448-1469. _Verso de romance_; assonance in _é-o_.
Lines 1470-1485. Irregular 9-syllable meter; assonance in _ó_.
Lines 1486-1501. _Cuartetas_ (10-syllable verse); rime-scheme _abab_;
even verses assonate or form a masculine rime.
Lines 1502-1521. _Cuartetas_ (11-syllable verse); rime-scheme _abab_;
even verses assonate or form a masculine rime.
Lines 1522-1553. _Cuartetas_ (12-syllable verse); rime-scheme _abab_;
even verses assonate or form a masculine rime; the _crescendo_ is now at
its height.
Lines 1554-1569. _Octavillas italianas_ (11-syllable verse); see above
for description of this verse form.
Lines 1570-1585. _Octavillas italianas_ (10-syllable verse).
Lines 1586-1601. _Octavillas italianas_ (9-syllable verse).
Lines 1602-1617. _Octavillas italianas_ (8-syllable verse).
Lines 1618-1633. _Octavillas italianas_ (7-syllable verse).
Lines 1634-1649. _Octavillas italianas_ (6-syllable verse).
Lines 1650-1661. An irregular 12-verse stanza of 5-syllable verse in
which verses 3 and 4, 8 and 9 rime as couplets; 6 and 12 also rime;
the other verses are blank.
Lines 1662-1669. Variant of the _octavilla italiana_; 4-syllable verse;
verse 6 is blank instead of 5.
Lines 1670-1677. _Octavilla italiana_; 3-syllable verse; rime-scheme
normal.
Lines 1678-1680. Irregular meter of 2-syllable verse; rime and blank;
the _diminuendo_ effect ends here.
Lines 1681-1704. _Octavas reales_.
"CANCIÓN DEL PIRATA"
Lines 1-16. _Octavillas italianas_ (8-syllable verse).
Lines 17-22. _Sextina_ (8-syllable verse, except that verse 2 is a
_verso quebrado_ or "broken verse" of 4 syllables). The _sextina_
admits of the greatest variety of form; those in this poem are all of
the same pattern; rime-scheme _abaccb_.
Lines 23-30. _Octavilla italiana_ (4-syllable verse).
Lines 31-34. _Cuarteta_ (8-syllable verse); verses 1 and 3 are blank;
2 and 4 assonate.
Lines 35-40. _Sextina_.
Lines 41-48. _Octavilla italiana_, same as above.
Lines 50-55. _Sextina_.
Lines 56-63. _Octavilla italiana_.
Lines 65-70. _Sextina_.
Lines 71-78. _Octavilla italiana_.
Lines 80-85. _Sextina_.
Lines 86-93. _Octavilla italiana_.
Lines 94-97. _Cuarteta_.
"EL CANTO DEL COSACO"
This poem is written in _cuartetas_ of 11-syllable verse with _rima
cruzada_. Verses 1 and 3 rime and 2 and 4 assonate, except in the
refrain, where 1 and 3 are blank.
"EL MENDIGO"
Lines 1-4. _Cuarteta_ (11-syllable verse); verses 1 and 3 are blank;
2 and 4 assonate.
Lines 5-10. _Sextina_ (8-syllable verse, except 2, the _verso
quebrado_, which has 4 syllables); rime-scheme _abcaac_; the _verso
quebrado_ is blank.
Lines 11-28. Irregular 4-syllable meter; a wholly irregular
arrangement of rime, assonance, and blank verse.
Lines 29-32. Irregular _cuarteta_ of two 8-syllable verses followed by
two of 11; verses 1 and 3 are blank; 2 and 4 assonate.
Lines 34-39. _Sextina_, same as above.
Lines 40-57. Irregular 4-syllable meter, same as above.
Lines 58-61. _Cuarteta_, same as the irregular one above.
Lines 63-68. _Sextina_, same as above.
Lines 69-88. Irregular 4-syllable meter, same as above.
Lines 89-92. _Cuarteta_, same as the irregular ones above.
Lines 94-99. _Sextina_, same as above.
Lines 100-117. Irregular 4-syllable meter, same as above.
Lines 118-121. _Cuarteta_, same as the irregular ones above.
Lines 122-125. _Cuarteta_, like the normal one above.
"SONETO"
Lines 1-14. Sonnet. 11-syllable verse. Rime-scheme _abba, abba, cde,
cde_.
"A TERESA. DESCANSA EN PAZ"
Written throughout in _octavas reales_ (11-syllable verse); rime-scheme
_abababcc_.