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Metrics is the measure of the verses, their structure and how the author combines them to achieve a certain poem and, with it, a certain way of expressing his message. In other words, metrics is the construction of a poem, the elements of a verse and their combinations. Therefore, we have to talk about the syllable count that refers to the number of syllables that make up a verse. Within poetry we can find a great variety of verse and stanza constructions, which will cause them to fall into one category or another. First of all, we have to distinguish between the types of metrics in poetry we refer directly to two groups: the verses of major art and the verses of minor art.
In this sense, the verses of major art are composed of nine metrical syllables (we will see later what a metrical syllable is) or more. That is, the verses of nine syllables are eneasyllabic and, adding one to the previous one, they are decasyllabic, hendecasyllabic, dodecasyllabic, tridecasyllabic, alexandrine or tetradecasyllabic, etc. You will also find minor art verse are those verses that have eight metric syllables or less. This corresponds to: verses of two syllables are called bisyllables and, adding one more syllable to the previous one, we find trisyllables, tetrasyllables, pentasyllables, hexasyllables. Well, the lines are a set of words that form the unit in a poem and that, depending on how it is composed, will provide a different rhythm and measures.
Types and Examples of Major Art Verse:
Aeneasyllabic verses: formed by verses of nine metrical syllables
Youth, divine treasure, 9
you are leaving, never to return! 9
When I want to cry, I don't cry... 9
and sometimes I cry without wanting to... 9
Rubén Darío, "Song of Autumn in Spring"
Decasyllabic verses: formed by verses of ten metric syllables.
This is the wall and in the window 10
that has a vine frame, 10
I left my verses one morning, 10
a spring morning. 10
Francisco Asís de Icaza. Estancias.
Hendecasyllabic verses: formed by verses of eleven metrical syllables
And resting silently on the altar, 11
with its flaming purple beak, 11
dim lamp feigns of Carrara 11
on vivid colors sustained. 11
Guillermo Valencia
Tridecasyllabic verses: verses of thirteen syllables
I palpitate, your glory looking sublime, 13
Noble author of vivid and various colors! 13
I salute you if you purely shade the flowers! 13
I salute you if you glaze the sea with brilliance! 13
Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda. The sleepless night and the albas
Alexandrine verses: fourteen syllables verses
My childhood are memories of a Seville courtyard, 14
and a clear orchard where the lemon tree ripens; 14
my youth, twenty years in the lands of Castile; 14
my history, some cases I don't want to remember. 14
Antonio Machado
Types and Examples of Minor Art Verse:
Bisyllabic verses: formed by verses of two metrical syllables.
Night 2-
sad 2a
you saw 2a
already 1-
air, 2-
sky, 2b
ground, 2b
sea. 1-
Trisyllabic verses: formed by verses of three metrical syllables
I in one 3
maiden 3
my star 3
I looked 2
Rubén Darío
Tetrasyllabic verses: verses of four syllables
Of summer, 4
red and cold, 4
laughter, 4
slice 4
of watermelon. 4
José Juan Tablada
Pentasyllabic verses: formed by verses of five metrical syllables
Weep, ladies 5
if God is good enough for you. 5
Guillén Peraza 5
remained in La Palma, 5
the withered flower 5
of his face 5
Hexasyllabic verses: formed by verses of six metrical syllables
In a green meadow 6
of roses and flowers 6
keeping cattle 6
with other shepherds 6
Marquis of Santillana
Heptasyllabic verses: formed by verses of seven metrical syllables
Sitting_in his basket, 7
sings his care to you, 7
like never_in love 7
your tender fisherman 7
José de Espronceda, "The fisherman".
Octosyllabic verses: formed by verses of eight metric syllables
Until the people sing them 8
coplas, coplas are not, 8
and when the people sing them 8
no one knows their author. 8
Manuel Machado
Let us remember that the lines are what give life to the poem and these are composed of a choice of words that convey the emotions that the poet wanted to share with his readers. We call metrical syllables the syllables of a verse. These conform to the grammatical syllables, but with the peculiarity that they can be altered through certain poetic licenses and the position of the accent of intensity (tonic syllable) at the end of a verse. This means that when we are going to count the syllables of a verse, we have to pay attention to certain norms or rules in order to make the correct count. This syllable count can never be the same as a grammatical syllable count, because the poet can use the so-called "poetic licenses" to have more or less syllables and adjust them to the metric of the verse.
To be able to extract the metric of a poem, it is necessary to be clear about several concepts. Among them: Hiatus indicates the separation of two open vowels (a, e, o) that are together (those of "le-ón", for example). It also applies when an open vowel is joined with a closed vowel (i, u) and the latter is the stressed syllable. In addition, the diphthong, on the other hand, refers to the union of two closed syllables or of a closed one with an open one, for example the word "Fue". Also have knowledge of what is the synalefa, which is the versification, this resource allows to join the last syllable of a word with the initial syllable of the following one. Of course, as long as they are vowels. It is important to keep in mind that the letter "h" does not affect the synalefa. The synalefa serves to shorten the meter of a line of verse at convenience and to achieve the desired size.
In conclusion, the meter of a poem refers to the measures that the verses of the stanzas of a poetic composition can have. In Spanish, the size of the verses is given by the number of metrical syllables that make up the verse. The metric of a verse can vary if its last word is grave, acute or sdrújula. In turn, the metric of the verses is associated with the rhythm, because when they are composed of a certain number of syllables these generate a type of characteristic sonority. Mastering the meter of the verses is necessary if you want to make compositions with good rhythm. At the same time, this aspect helps to achieve an effective message. This helps us to know the number of verses, their structure and the way in which the creator of the text manages to combine them to express the message in a perfect way. We can also tell you that when we talk about the metric of a poem, we refer to the number of syllables in each verse.
Did you know about the metric measure in poems?
Disclaimer: I would like to let you know that English is not my mother tongue, I may even make some mistakes in the elaboration of sentences in my posts. Feel free to correct me attentively. It will help me in my learning process.
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