Understanding Poetic Structure: Meter, Rhyme, and Forms

The Fundamentals of Poetic Meter

Syllable Count in a Line

In poetry, verses are often classified by their number of syllables. Verses of high art (arte mayor) are those with nine or more syllables per line. A common example is the Alexandrine, which has 14 syllables per line. Other common line lengths include tetrasyllabic (four syllables), heptasyllabic (seven syllables), and octosyllabic (eight syllables).

Rules for Metrical Syllables

The syllable count can be adjusted based on the stress of the final word in the verse and the interaction between words:

• If the last word of the verse is a plain or flat word (stressed on the second-to-last syllable), the syllable count remains the same.
• If the last word is a sharp or acute word (stressed on the final syllable), one syllable is added to the count.
• If the last word is an esdrújula (stressed on the antepenultimate syllable), one syllable is subtracted from the count.
• Synalepha (sinalefa): When one word ends in a vowel and the next begins with a vowel, they are often blended together to sound like a single syllable or a single stroke of the voice. For example, in the phrase "at night when you wrap," the vowels might blend.

Common Stanza Forms in Poetry

Verses are combined to form stanzas, which are groups of lines related by meaning or form to create a unified section of a poem.

• Triplet: A stanza of three lines with a variable metric.
• Quatrain: A stanza of four lines of high art.
• Quintet: A stanza of five lines of high art.
• Sextet: A stanza of six lines of high art.
• Octave: A stanza of eight lines of high art.
• Couplet: A pair of successive lines of verse, often used in popular songs or short poetic compositions.
• Tenth (Décima): A stanza of ten lines, usually octosyllabic.

The Sonnet

A sonnet is a poetic composition that contains fourteen lines, typically structured as two quatrains and two tercets.

Understanding Rhyme Schemes

Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds at the end of two or more lines.

• Consonant Rhyme: The repetition of both consonants and vowels.
• Assonance Rhyme: The repetition of vowel sounds only.
• Blank Verse: Poetry that has a consistent metric unit (like iambic pentameter) but does not rhyme.
• Free Verse: Poetry that has no fixed rhyme scheme or metric unit.

Types of Lyrical Compositions

• Troubadour Poetry: Originating with the troubadours, this poetry was always intended to be accompanied by music and is often centered on the theme of love.
• Eclogue: A poem in which the poet conveys intimate feelings through the voices of shepherds, who express their sorrows of love within an idealized natural setting.
• Elegy: A poem that expresses, in a high and solemn tone, the feeling of grief over the loss of a loved one or a collective misfortune.
• Epigram: A subgenre born in ancient Greece. It is a very short poem, often with a satirical intention or a pleasant tone, used to treat poignant issues of morality, politics, or society.
• Epithalamium: A lyrical composition of a bridal character. It is offered to a couple on their wedding night.
• Hymn: A lyrical composition of religious origin, such as the Psalms of the Bible.