[Footnote 9: A count of Spanish verses (none from drama), by arbitrarily assuming three contiguous atonic syllables to be equal to-[/-]-(with secondary stress on the middle syllable), gave the following results (cf. _Romanic Review, Vol. III_, pp. 301-308):
Common syllabic arrangements of 8-syllable lines:
(1) / _ / _ / _ / (_): Esta triste voz oí.
(2) _ / _ / _ _ / (_): Llorando dicen así.
(3) _ / _ _ / _ / (_): Mi cama las duras peñas.
Of 933 lines, 446 (nearly one-half) were in class (1); 257 in class (2); and 191 in class (3). The remaining lines did not belong to any one of these three classes.
Common syllabic arrangements of 11-syllable lines:
(1) _ / _ / _ / _ / _ / (_): Verás con cuánto amor llamar porfía.
(2) / _ / _ _ / _ / _ / (_): Cuántas veces el ángel me decía.
(3) / _ _ / _ / _ / _ / (_): Este matiz que al cielo desafía.
Of 402 lines, 216 (slightly more than one-half) were in class (1); 94 were in class (2); and 75 in class (3). The remaining lines did not belong to any one of these three classes. Note that, in these arrangements of the 11-syllable lines, the irregularities in rhythm are found only in the first four syllables.] page xlvi Some poets have used at times a quite regular binary movement in Spanish verse; but they have had few or no followers, as the effect was too monotonous to please the Spanish ear. Thus, Solís:
Siempre orillas de la fuente Busco rosas á mi frente, Pienso en él y me sonrío, Y entre mí le llamo mío, Me entristezco de su ausencia, Y deseo en su presencia La más bella parecer. (p. 53, ll. 6-12)
The Colombian poet, José Eusebio Caro, wrote much verse thus, under the influence of the English poets.
On the other hand, some recent "decadent" poets have written verses in which the principle of symmetry of phrases, or of a fixed number of syllables, is abandoned, and rhythm and rime are considered sufficient to make the lines musical. Thus, Leopoldo Lugones (born 1875?), of Argentina, in verses which he calls «_libres_» (cf. _Lunario sentimental_, Buenos Aires, 1909):
Luna, quiero cantarte ¡Oh ilustre anciana de las mitologías! Con todas las fuerzas de mi arte.
Deidad que en los antiguos días Imprimiste en nuestro polvo tu sandalia, No alabaré el litúrgico furor de tus orgías Ni su erótica didascalia, Para que alumbres sin mayores ironías, Al polígloto elogio de las Guías, Noches sentimentales de _mises_ en Italia. (_Himno á la luna_)