above combinations, in a syllable on which the rhythmical accent falls (see under Rhythmic Accent). Ex. Despierta, hablas, y al hablar, vibrantes, p. 174, XXVII, l. 23. Ex. Como la ola que a la playa viene, p. 178, XXXVII, l. 19. TRIPHTHONGAL SYNALEPHA There is always triphthongal synalepha when a is the middle vowel; or when o or e is the middle vowel, except in the following combinations, aoa, aoo, ooo, aea, aeo, oea, oeo. Ex. Silenciosa a expirar, p. 178, XXXVII, l. 20. There is never triphthongal synalepha when an accented weak vowel stands between two strong vowels. Therefore the conjunctions y and u prevent triphthongal synalepha. Ex. Y de purpura y oro la matiza, p. 168, IX, l. 4. There may be triphthongal synalepha when i (y) is the middle vowel, if u precedes it, or i follows it. Ex. Fui diestro, fui valiente, fui arrogante. Cervantes. When u is the middle vowel there may be synalepha if i follows it. The construction is very rare. There is no synalepha with a word beginning with hue. Ex. Mucho nuestro huesped tarda. Tirso de Molina. In the following cases the groups of vowels which would usually make triphthongal synalepha are pronounced in two syllables: (1) When the first word of the group ends in two vowels which do not form a diphthong. Ex. Que aun teni|a^abiertos, p. 187, LXXIII, l. 2. (2) When the two initial vowels of the second word do not form a diphthong. Ex. Tu, sombra^a|erea que, cuantas veces, p. 170, XV, l. 7. (3) When the first word ends in a diphthong and the second begins with a vowel in a constituent syllable (i.e. a syllable on which the rhythmical accent falls). Ex. Tan gran designio honra tus audacias. If the accented vowel is not in a constituent syllable synalepha may occur. 18 Ex. Mientras la cencia a descubrir no alcance, p. 165, IV, l. 13. (4) When the first word ends in a single vowel, and the second word begins with a diphthong in a constituent syllable. Ex. Tu, proceloso austro que derribas. (3) and (4) might well be considered as cases of hiatus. SYNALEPHA BETWEEN FOUR OR MORE VOWELS This is less common, yet it exists. Ex. No^h^a^y^amor donde no hay celos. Lope de Vega. HIATUS Hiatus is most frequently found between words having a close syntactical relation, particularly if the initial vowel of the second word is in a constituent syllable. It may occur between the article and its substantive, the possessive adjective and its substantive, a preposi-tion and its object, the negatives no and ni and a following vowel; and after the conjunctions y, que, si, and other words having a weak accent such as desde, coma, todo, otro, cuando,
etc. Hiatus is most likely to occur when the accented vowel is the initial vowel of the final word in a phrase or verse, or of a word that has a strongly accented position in the verse; as, for example, when the syllable is the next to the last syllable in a verse, or is the fourth or eighth syllable of a hendecasyllabic verse of the second class. Ex. Rumor de besos y batir de alas, p. 168, X, l. 6. Ex. Como la ola que a la playa viene, p. 178, XXXVII, l. 19. In the above-mentioned case, the phrase de^oro is usually joined by synalepha. Ex. Mi frente es palida, mis trenzas de^oro. Becquer. Hiatus is, however, sometimes observed in this phrase. Ex. De plumas y de oro, p. 180, XL, l. 28. When both vowels are accented hiatus is more common than synalepha, even though there is no close syntactical relation, although the vowels may be joined by synalepha if they do not come in a constituent syllable. Ex. !Oh ya isla catolica patente! Herrera. [Hiatus.] Ex. ?Sabes tu^a donde va? p. 178, XXXVIII, l. 4. [Synalepha.] II. RHYTHMIC ACCENT The second essential element of Spanish verse is a rhythmic distribution of accents within a line. Words have an accent of their own and another stronger accent on account of their position in a verse. This extraordinary accentual stress, which strengthens periodically certain naturally accented syllables of a verse, is known as rhythmic accent. It plays somewhat the same role as did quantity in Latin verse. All other accents and pauses in the verse are subservient to the rhythmic accent. Spanish verse being accentual, however, and not quantitative, the terms used to determine the regular recurrence of long and short syllables in Latin verse are not very applicable to it, and few compositions are regular in the arrangement of the stress. A. LATIN TERMS OF VERSIFICATION APPLIED TO SPANISH VERSE As Latin terms of versification are sometimes applied to Spanish verse, the following rules may be helpful. A trochaic octosyllabic line, for example, substituting stress for quantity, would be scanned
-- | -- |
-- | --, with the stress on the first, third, fifth, and seventh syllables. Iambic verse would have a regular alternation of unaccented and accented syllables, -- / -- /,
etc. 19 Dactylic verse would have a regular recurrence of an accented syllable followed by two unaccented syllables,
etc. / -- -- | / -- -- |,
etc. Amphibrachic verse would be formed by a regular recurrence of three syllables of which the middle one would be stressed, -- / --. This construction is sometimes followed in lines of twelve syllables (p. 164, I, 1. 2), and also in lines of six syllables (p. 167, VII, 1.-4). Anapestic verse consists of a regular recurrence of two unstressed syllables preceding a stressed syllable, -- -- /. This is sometimes found in ten-syllable lines (p. 164, I, 1. i). B. SPANISH VERSE ENDINGS An accented word is called aguda when it has the accent on the last syllable,
e.g. verdad, luz, yo; llana (or grave) when it has the ac- cent on the penult,
e.g. trabajo, fruto; esdrujula when it has the accent on the antepenult,
e.g. limpido, pajaro, portico. A verse is called agudo, llano (or grave), or esdrujulo according to whether its final word is aguda, llana (or grave), or esdrujula. In a verso agudo the last syllable counts for two syllables. Therefore, Ni tu ni yo jamas, p. 177, XXXIII, l. 2, is a heptasyllable. In a verso llano (grave) the number of syllables does not change. Therefore, Detras del abanico, p. 180, XL, l. 27, is a heptasyllable. In a verso esdrujulo, the intermediate syllable between the accented syllable and the final syllable does not count, either in enumerat- ing the syllables in the verse or for the rhyme (assonance). Therefore, Umbrales de su portico, p. 180, XL, l. 32, is a heptasyllable. C. THE DISTRIBUTION OF RHYTHMIC ACCENTS In verses of different length there are different rules with regard to the distribution of accents, but the following general rules should be observed. Every verse must be accented upon the syllable nominally preceding the final syllable. NOTE: It should be borne in mind that the actual final syllable in a versa agudo counts as two syllables, and that the next to the last actual syllable in a verso esdrujulo does not count. Besides the necessary accent on the next to the last syllable, all verses of seven syllables or more must have other necessary accents, which are determined by the number of syllables in the line. The syllable directly preceding the one that has the rhythmical accent should never be accented, for it obstructs the proper accentuation of the constituent syllable. A syllable so accented is called obstruccionista. D. THE NUMBER OF SYLLABLES IN SPANISH VERSE Spanish verse may consist of any number of syllables from two up to sixteen. All must have an accent on the next to the last syllable. Dissyllabic Verse: A dissyllabic verse may be composed of a single word (either aguda, llana, or esdrujula). Ex. !Duerme! p. 173, XXVII, l. 13. There can be no supernumerary accents. Trisyllabic Verse: A verse of three syllables can have no supernumerary accent, for the accent would be obstruccionista. Ex. Suspira. Tetrasyllable Verse: A verse of four syllables must have an accent on the third syllable. There may or may not be a supernumerary accent on the first. Ex. De ese brio. Pentasyllabic Verse: A verse of five syllables must have an accent on the fourth. It may or may not have a supernumerary accent on 20 the first or second syllable. Ex. Rumor sonoro, p. I 70, XV, l. 3. Adonic verse is a pentasyllable with necessary accents on the first and fourth syllables. Ex. Cefiro blando. Villegas. Hexasyllabic Verse: A verse of six syllables must have an accent on the fifth. There may or may not be supernumerary accents, but never on the fourth syllable. 5 Ex. Y^entre^aquella sombra 2 5 Veiase^a^intervalos 3 5 Dibujarse rigida 2 5 La forma del cuerpo, p. 188, LXXIII, ll. 13-16. Heptasyllabic Verse: A verse of seven syllables must have an accent on the sixth, and at least one other necessary accent, which may be on any syllable except the fifth. 2 6 Ex. Su mano^entre mis manos, 2 6 Sus ojos en mis ojos, p. 179, XL, ll. 1-2. Octosyllabic Verse: A verse of eight syllables must have an accent on the seventh, and at least one other accent, which may fall on any syllable except the sixth. 1 4 7 Ex. Hojas del arbol caidas 2 5 7 Juguetes al viento son. Espronceda. Hendecasyllabic verse: There are two classes of hendecasyllables. First Class: Verses of eleven syllables which have the sixth syllable and the tenth syllable stressed are hendecasyllables of the first class. Ex. Los invisibles 'atomos del 'aire, p. 168, X, l. 1. Hendecasyllables of the first class may have supernumerary accents on other syllables, provided they do not fall upon the fifth or ninth. Ex. Los sus'pires son 'aire, y van al 'aire. Las 'lagrimas son 'agua, y van al 'mar. p. 178, XXXVIII, ll. 1-2. Second Class: Hendecasyllables of the second class are eleven-syllable verses with the accent on the fourth, eighth, and tenth syllables. There may be accents on other syllables, provided that they be not obstruccionistas. Ex. Olas gi'gantes qu^e^os rom'peis
