An endecha is a type of Spanish dirge or song of lament originating from the 16th century. The form relies on rhymed quatrains, usually with an uneven structure centered on lines with seven and eleven syllables, though a variant does exist that uses isosyllabic six-syllable lines instead.
The décima espinela is a poem written in ten-line verses utilizing isosyllabic rhymed lines. This variant of the décima was invented by Vicente Espinela, whose name lives on in the name of the poem, much like how we refer to sonnets as ‘Shakespearean’ or ‘Petrarchan.’
Soledad is a minor verse form from Spain consisting of just three lines, though longer versions utilizing multiple tercets can be written. Each line of the poem will be eight syllables and each verse will have an internal axa rhyme scheme, in which ‘x’ represents an unrhymed syllable.
The shadorma is a poem written as a sestet with a 3/3/5/3/7/5 syllable structure. It is supposedly an old Spanish form, though I’ve yet to see any hard evidence of its origins. Nor has anyone else, judging from the sources available. It’s more likely to be a modern response to the haiku’s popularity.
The seguidilla is a Spanish verse form that branched off from a category of folk songs that go by the same name. This poem form consists entirely of seven-line verses that typically utilize assonance instead of true rhyme, leading to a subtle but noticeable rhythm that hints at the form’s musical origins.
A quintilla is a five-line verse form with octosyllabic lines in which there are only two end sounds. The poet is not allowed to have three consecutive rhymes nor to end the poem in a couplet, leaving only five viable options for the poem’s rhyme scheme. The most common of these is ABAAB.
The pregunta (Spanish for “question”) is a poem form in which one poet recites a question and another poet recites an answer, echoing whatever meter and rhyme scheme the first poet used in their question. Solo preguntas are also possible, and easier, though it’s debatable as to which is actually better as a form.
The ovillejo is a ten-line Spanish poem form that gained popularity during the 17th century. It’s a unique question-answer poem that weaves three couplets together with a final quatrain using short lines that are designed to intermingle on the last line.
The zéjel is a Spanish form that seems to have Arabic roots and is believed to be a descendant of the qasida. It’s a relatively simple form that utilizes triple rhymes and linked rhyme that ties the initial stanza, called the mudanza, to the remainder of the poem.
The flamenca is a stanzaic verse form inspired chiefly by flamenco dancing. It’s ultimately a shorter version of the seguidilla and is sometimes called the seguidilla gitana. Flamenca poems consist of cinquains with a 6/6/5/6/6 syllable structure and assonance on the second and fifth lines.
The décima is a type of ten-line poem that predominantly finds its fame in the Spanish-speaking world. There are many variations of the form throughout Latin America and Spain, including extended 44-line variants, but the most popular would have to be the décima espinela, associated with Vicente Espinel.
The glosa is a Spanish poem form that includes and expands upon an excerpt from another writer’s work, using it in refrains throughout a poem written as a lengthy accompaniment. It seems to be structurally based on Greek odes, but there is a great deal of disagreement as to what does and does not constitute a glosa.