8 Spanish Poetic Forms
Here are eight Spanish poetic forms and how to write them. From the decima to the shadorma and several poem types in between.
Here are eight Spanish poetic forms and how to write them. From the decima to the shadorma and several poem types in between.
I've been covering poetic forms on this blog for more than a decade now. Long enough to make lists of poetic forms, like the eight Spanish poetic forms I've collected below. There are two things I especially enjoy about Spanish forms: 1. They're a little less restrictive than most forms; and 2. A few of them require variable line lengths, which is a fun challenge.
Click on each link below to learn how to write them.
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8 Spanish Poetic Forms
- Decima. 10-liner with 8-syllable lines and variable rhyme schemes.
- Espinela. Like the decima, but with a few specific rules.
- Flamenca. 5-liner with assonance and a variable syllables per line.
- Glosa (or Glose). A sort of mix of the decima and golden shovel.
- Ovillejo. A 10-line Q&A poem.
- Quintilla. Five lines with ab rhymes that do not end on a rhyming couplet.
- Seguidilla. 7-liner with lines of five and seven syllables, as well as a pause in the middle.
- Shadorma. Six lines and variable line lengths.
Check these forms out, try them for fun, and let me know which is your favorite in the comments below. Or let me know of Spanish forms I still have yet to cover (like the endecha).
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
