Spanish Poetic Terminology and Figures of Speech

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards defining Spanish poetic terms, rhyme schemes, structures, and rhetorical devices based on the lecture transcript.

Verso

The unit of versification that forms stanzas; each "poetic line" is a verso.

Verso agudo

A verse that ends in an "aguda" word, which carries the force on the last syllable (e.g., corazón, ciudad, volver, pan).

Verso llano

A verse that ends in a "llana" word, which carries the force on the penultimate syllable (e.g., casa, ventana, escribe).

Verso esdrújulo

A verse that ends in an "esdrújula" word, which carries the force on the antepenultimate syllable (e.g., pájaro, público, espectáculo, música).

Heptasílabo

A verse of 7 metric syllables; a verse of "arte menor".

Octosílabo

A verse of 8 metric syllables; a verse of "arte menor".

Endecasílabo

A verse of 11 metric syllables of Italian origin; a verse of "arte mayor".

Verso alejandrino

A verse of 14 metric syllables; used in medieval epic songs about Alejandro Magno; a verse of "arte mayor".

Versos de arte menor

Verses consisting of 2-8 syllables, marked with lowercase letters.

Versos de arte mayor

Verses consisting of 9 or more syllables, marked with uppercase letters.

Hemistiquio

Half of a verse, separated by a pause.

Encabalgamiento

The moment in which a verse "flows" directly into the next, almost without pause, usually because the syntax of the phrase requires it.

Sinalefa

A phenomenon affecting syllabic count; when a word ends in a vowel and the next begins with a vowel, they count as a single syllable. It is very frequent and is the "rule".

Hiato

The opposite of sinalefa and the exception to the rule; when a word ends in a vowel and the next begins with a vowel, they are pronounced as two syllables instead of one.

Sinéresis

When two vowels that generally do not form a diphthong are joined within the interior of a word.

Diéresis

The contrary of sinéresis; pronouncing two vowels that generally form a diphthong as separate syllables within a word.

Rima

Total or partial acoustic identity between two or more verses for the phonemes located starting from the last stressed syllable.

Rima consonante

Phonetic rhyme (of both vowels and consonants) between two or more verses, starting from the last stressed syllable.

Rima asonante

Phonetic rhyme occurring only in the vowels starting from the last stressed vowel.

Rima abrazada

A rhyme scheme of the type: abba, cddc, etc.

Rima encadenada (o cruzada)

A rhyme scheme of the type: abab, or ABAB, etc.

Rima gemela

A rhyme scheme occurring in couplets (pareados) of the type: aa, bb, cc, etc.

Pareado

A stanza composed of two verses that rhyme.

Terceto

A stanza composed of three verses with rhyme; "terceto encadenado" forms a sequence with others like ABA BCB CDC.

Cuarteto

A stanza composed of four verses (of "arte mayor") with rhyme.

Redondilla

A poem with stanzas of 4 verses each, octosyllabic, with consonant rhyme abba, cddc…

Cuarteta

A stanza of verses of "arte menor" (often octosyllabic) with consonant rhyme abab, cdcd, etc.

Lira

A poem with stanzas of 5 verses each, combining heptasílabos and endecasílabos with an aBabB rhyme scheme.

Octava real

A poem featuring stanzas with the rhyme scheme ABABABCC.

Soneto

A poem of 14 hendecasyllabic verses with two quartets and two tercets (4+4+3+3), generally following an ABBA ABBA CDC DCD rhyme.

Letrilla

A brief poetic composition divided into symmetric stanzas, at the end of which a thought is repeated in verses called "estribillos".

Romance

A poem with an indeterminate number of octosyllabic verses, featuring assonant rhyme in even verses and unrhymed odd verses; often opens "in medias res".

Silva

A poem formed by hendecasyllabic (endecasílabos) and heptasyllabic (heptasílabos) verses in free succession.

Tropos

The figurative (non-literal) use of words that changes their sense.

Figuras retóricas

Language uses in literary works to create specific effects; they are expressive and decorative without changing the sense.

Hipérbole

Exaggeration.

Prosopopeya or personificación

Attribution of human qualities or acts to animals or inanimate objects.

Apóstrofe

Addressing an absent person or a personified thing.

Símil

Explicitly comparing one thing to another, such as through the use of "como".

Antítesis

Counterposing a phrase or word to another with an opposite sense.

Paradoja

A contradiction without a logical resolution.

Sinestesia

A transfer between the senses.

Clímax

A series of words or ideas in an ascending or descending progression.

Perífrasis or circunlocución

Expressing through a "roundabout" of words what could be said with fewer words or just one.

Epíteto

An adjective placed before the noun that expresses a quality of a person or thing.

Asíndeton

Omitting conjunctions (e.g., Veni, vidi, vici: vine, vi, vencí).

Polisíndeton

Using more conjunctions than necessary (e.g., A y B y C…).

Anáfora

Repetition of words at the beginning of a verse or within similar phrases.

Aliteración

Repetition of sounds within a verse or phrase.

Onomatopeya

Language that imitates real sounds.

Hipérbaton

Changing the normal order of words.

Metonimia

Designating one thing by the name of another due to an association that is not similarity (e.g., cause and effect, artist for work, place for an event).

Sinécdoque

Using a part to represent the whole.

Metáfora

Designating one thing with the name of another due to an association based on similarity.

Alegoría

An extended metaphor.

Parábola

Narrative of an invented event from which a moral teaching is drawn.

Símbolo

An image or word used to represent a moral or intellectual concept.

Ironía

Giving to understand the opposite of what is expressed.