Octossílabo

Octossílabo refers to a line of verse containing eight metrical feet, typically syllables in Romance languages like Spanish and Portuguese. It is a common and important meter in poetry, particularly in lyrical and narrative forms. In Spanish and Portuguese poetry, an octosyllabic line generally consists of eight poetic syllables, often achieved through the use of synalepha (combining the vowel of one word with the vowel of the next) and the counting of syllables up to the last stressed syllable of the line. If the last word is stressed on the penultimate syllable, the count is eight. If the last word is stressed on the final syllable (oxytone), the count effectively becomes nine, and if it's stressed on the antepenultimate syllable (proparoxytone), the count becomes seven. However, the standard is to count up to the eighth syllable.

The octosílabo has a long and rich history in Iberian poetry, dating back to medieval times. It is the meter of many traditional forms, including the romance, a narrative ballad form that was incredibly popular. It is also found in sonnets, villancicos, and countless other lyrical poems. Its natural rhythm and musicality make it well-suited for storytelling, expressing emotion, and creating a flowing, accessible poetic experience. The relative simplicity of its structure has allowed poets to experiment extensively with its variations and combinations, leading to a vast body of work in this meter across centuries and diverse poetic traditions. Its enduring popularity testifies to its effectiveness and inherent appeal in verse.