One of two
contiguous
vowels accented.
Gustavo Adolfo Becuqer
Becquer's instinct for the supernatural freed him from Heine's
skepticism and irreligion; and, though he had suffered much, he never
doubted Providence.
[Footnote 1: op. _cit. _, p. 86. ]
The influence of Alfred de Musset may be felt also in Becquer's
_Rimas_, particularly in the forty-second and forty-third; but in
general, the Spanish poet is "less worldly and less ardent"[1] than
the French.
[Footnote 1: Corm, _op. cit. _, p. xl. ]
The _Rimas_ are written for the most part in assonanced verse. A
harmonious rhythm seems to be substituted for the music of the rhyme.
The meter, too, is very freely handled. Notwithstanding all this, the
melody of Becquer's verse is very sweet, and soon catches and charms
even the foreign ear. His _Rimas_ created a school like that inspired
by the _Doloras_ of Campoamor. But the extreme simplicity and
naturalness of Becquer's expression was difficult to reproduce without
falling into the commonplace, and his imitators have for the most part
failed.
AN UNPUBLISHED LETTER OF THE POET BECQUER, ONE OF THE FEW THAT HAVE
SURVIVED HIM, ADDRESSED TO SOR. C. FRANCO DE LA IGLESIAS, MINISTERIO
DE ULTRAMAR, MADRID. DATED IN TOLEDO, JULY 18TH, 1869. [1]
[Footnote 1: The accentuation and punctuation of the original are
preserved. This letter is of particular interest, showing, as it
does, the tender solicitude of Becquer for his children, his dire
financial straits when a loan of three or four dollars is a godsend,
and his hesitation to call upon friends for aid even when in such
difficulties. The letter was presented to the writer of this sketch
by Don Francisco de Laiglesia, a distinguished Spanish writer and
man of public life and an intimate friend of Becquer. Senor de
Laiglesia is the owner of the magnificent portrait of Gustavo by
Valeriano Becquer, of the beauty of which but a faint idea can be
had from the copy of the etching by Maura, which serves as a
frontispiece to the present volume. ]
Mi muy querido amigo:
Me volvi de esa con el cuidado de los chicos y en efecto parecia
anunciarmelo apenas llegue cayo en cama el mas pequeno. Esto se
prolonga mas de lo que pensamos y he escrito a Gaspar y a Valera que
solo pago la mitad del importe del cuadro Gaspar he sabido que salio
ayer para Aguas Buenas y tardara en recibir mi carta Valera espero
enviara ese pico pero suele gastar una calma desesperante en este
apuro recurro una vez mas a vd. y aunque me duele abusar tanto de su
amistad le ruego que si es posible me envie tres o cuatro duros para
esperar el envio del dinero que aguardamos el cual es seguro pero no
sabemos que dia vendra y aqui tenemos al medico en casa y atenciones
que no esperan un momento.
Adios estoy aburrido de ver que esto nunca cesa. Adios mande vd. a su
amigo que le quiere
Gustavo Becquer
Espresiones a Pepe Marco S/c Calle de San Ildefonso Toledo. Si le es a
vd. posible enviar eso hagalo si puede en el mismo dia que reciba esta
carta por que el apuro es de momento.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
A list of the works consulted in the preparation of the sketch of
Becquer's life.
WORKS BY BECQUER
Obras de Gustavo A. Becquer. _Quinta edicion aumentada con varias
poesias y leyendas. Madrid, Libreria de Fernando Fe, 1898. _ Three
volumes.
Historia de los Templos de Espana, _publicada bajo la proteccion de
SS. MM. AA. y muy reverendos senores arzobispos y obispos--dirigida
por D. Juan de la Puerto Vizcaino y D. Gustavo Adolfo Becquer. Tomo I,
Madrid, 1857. Imprenta y Estereotipia Espanola de los Senores Nieto y
Campania. _ Becquer is the author of only a portion of this work--see
Introduction, p. xx.
La Ilustracion de Madrid, January 12-October 12, 1870, contains a
large number of articles by Becquer that have never been published in
book form. The same can be said of other periodicals for which Becquer
collaborated.
TRANSLATIONS
Gustave Becquer--Legendes espagnoles. _Traduction de Achille Fouquier,
dessins de S. Arcos. Paris, Librairie de Firmin-Didot et Cie, 1885_.
French.
Terrible Tales--Spanish. _W. W. Gibbings, London, W. C. _ In this
collection the following seven out of the twelve tales that it
contains are by Becquer,--"The Golden Bracelet," "The Green Eyes,"
"The Passion Flower," "The White Doe," "Maese Perez, the Organist,"
"The Moonbeam," and "The Mountain of Spirits. " The translation is
often inaccurate.
WORKS OR ARTICLES ON BECQUER
P. Francisco Blanco Garcia. _La Literatura Espanola en el Siglo XIX,
parte segunda, Madrid, 1891_, contains a good criticism of the
literary work of Becquer, pp. 79-91, and pp. 274-277.
Narciso Campillo. _Gustavo Adolfo Becquer_ is the title of an
excellent article on the Seville poet, by one who knew him well, in
_La Ilustracion Artistica_, Barcelona, December 27, 1886, pp. 358-360.
This number (261--Ano V) is dedicated to Becquer, and contains many
prose articles and much verse relative to him.
Achille Fouquier. _Gustave Becquer, Legendes Espagnoles. Traduction de
Achille Fouquier, dessins de S. Arcos. Paris, Firmin-Didot et Cie,
1885,--Avant-Propos_, pp. 1-19. An interesting sketch of Becquer's
life and an excellent appreciation of his style.
Jose Gestoso y Perez. _Carta a Mr. Achille Fouquier_ is the title of a
valuable article in _La Ilustracion Artistica_, Barcelona, December
27, 1886, pp. 363-366. This article contains important genealogical
matter regarding Becquer, which had not until that time been
published.
Eduardo de Lustono. Becquer is the titie of a sketch by this writer,
published in _Alrededor del Mundo_, No. 109, July 4, 1901, pp. 11-13,
and No. 110, July 11, 1901, pp. 22-23. It is largely a copy of the
article by Narciso Campillo, mentioned above, and of the following by
Rodriguez Correa.
Ramon Rodriguez Correa. _Prologo de las Obras de Gustavo A. Becquer.
Quinta edicion, Madrid, Fernando Fe, 1898_. Vol. I, pp. IX-XLV. This
is the principal biography of Becquer and the source of all the
others. Its author was Becquer's most intimate friend.
Juan Valera. In _Florilegio de Poesias Castellanas del Siglo XIX, Tomo
I, Madrid, Fernando Fe, 1902_, pp. 182-191, may be found an excellent
appreciation of the poet by one of the most capable of Spanish critics
and a personal friend of Becquer.
P. Restituto del Valle Ruiz, Agustino. In his _Estudios Literarios_,
pp. 104-116, there is a chapter devoted to Gustavo A. Becquer, which
contains an interesting critique of his poetry.
Mrs. (Mary A. ) Humphrey Ward, in _Macmillan's Magazine_, No. 280,
February, 1883, pp. 305-320, has an article entitled "A Spanish
Romanticist: Gustavo Becquer. " This is one of the best articles on
Becquer that have been published.
SPANISH PROSODY
The basis for the following remarks on Spanish prosody is, for the
most part, E. Benot's _Prosodia Castellana y Versification_, 3 vols. ,
Madrid, 1892. Other works which have been consulted are the _Ortologia
y Arte Metrica_ of A. Bello, published in his _Obras Completas_, vol.
4, Madrid, 1890; Rengifo's _Arte Poetica Espanola_, Barcelona, 1759;
J. D. M. Ford's "Notes on Spanish Prosody," in _A Spanish Anthology_,
published by Silver, Burdett & Co. , 1901; and a _Tratado de Literatura
Preceptiva_, by D. Saturnino Milego e Inglada, published at Toledo in
1887.
Spanish versification has nothing to do with the quantity of vowels
(whether long or short), which was the basis of Latin prosody.
There are four important elements in Spanish versification. Of these
four elements two are essential, and the other two are usually
present.
The essential elements, without which Spanish verse cannot exist,
are--
I. A determined number of syllables per line.
II. A rhythmic distribution of the accents in the line.
The additional elements usually present in Spanish poetical
compositions are--
III. Caesural pauses.
IV. Rhyme.
I. SYLLABIFICATION
Consonants. --In verse the same rules hold as in prose for the
distribution of consonants in syllables.
Vowels. --If there were but one vowel in a syllable, Spanish
syllabification would be easy; but sometimes two or more vowels are
found either between consonants, or at the beginning or at the end of
a word. When such is the case, intricacies arise, for sometimes the
contiguous vowels are pronounced in a single syllable and sometimes
they are divided into separate syllables.
The contiguous vowels may belong to a single word (see A); or they may
be the final vowel or vowels of one word and the initial vowel or
vowels of a following word or words (see B).
A. _Diphthongization_,--If two contiguous vowels of a single word are
pronounced in but one syllable they form a diphthong, e. g. _hu^esped_.
B. _Synalepha_. --If two or more contiguous vowels belonging to two or
more words are pronounced in a single syllable, they form synalepha.
Ex. _Yo se^un himno gigante y^extrano_, p. 164, I, l. 1.
Since Spanish verse depends upon a determined number of syllables per
line, _diphthongization_ and _synalepha_ are important factors in
versification.
A. DIPHTHONGIZATION
Mute _h_ between vowels is disregarded and does not prevent
diphthongization, e. g. _a^h^ora_, _re^h^usar_.
The separation of two vowels that are usually united in one syllable
is called _diaeresis_, e. g. _vi|oleta_.
The union in one syllable of two vowels that are usually in separate
syllables is called _synaeresis_, e. g. _ca^os_.
1. THE TWENTY-FIVE POSSIBLE COMBINATIONS OP VOWELS IN DIPHTHONGS
The vowels may be divided into strong vowels (a, e, o) and weak vowels
(i, u). For purposes of versification y as a vowel may be treated as
i. The five vowels (a, e, o, i, u) taken in pairs may form diphthongs
in twenty-five possible combinations, as follows:
a. Pairs of two weak vowels: ui, iu, ii, uu.
b. Pairs of two strong vowels:
{ ae, ao, aa,
{ ea, eo, ee,
{ oa, oe, oo.
c. Pairs of a strong vowel plus a weak vowel
{ ai, au,
{ ei, eu,
{ oi, ou.
d. Pairs of a weak vowel plus a strong vowel
{ ua, ue, uo,
{ ia, ie, io.
NOTE: In diphthongs a dominates o and e; and o dominates e. Any strong
vowel dominates a weak one.
Ex. In Bo^abdil, if a were not dominant, the diphthong would be
dissolved.
2. DIPHTHONGS AND WORD ACCENTUATION
There are with regard to accent three possible conditions under which
two contiguous vowels may occur within a word.
a. The contiguous vowels may precede the accented syllable.
b. One of the contiguous vowels may be accented.
c. The contiguous vowels may come after the accented syllable.
a. Two contiguous vowels before the accent.
(1) Of the twenty-five possible combinations all are admissible in
diphthongs in a syllable preceding the accented syllable.
Ex. _Habra po^esta_, p. 165, IV, l. 4.
(a) Diaeresis may be employed to dissolve the diphthong.
Ex. _Sobre una vi|oleta_, p. 169, XIII, l. 8.
b.
One of two contiguous vowels accented.
(1) _When two contiguous vowel's are strong. _
(a) There is no diphthong if one of two contiguous strong vowels
receives the accent.
Ex. _Chispe|ando el sol hiere_, p. 173, XXVI I, l. 17.
Ex. _Tu, sombra a|erea que, cuantas veces_, p. 170, XV, l. 7.
By synaeresis, however, a diphthong may be formed, especially in the
combinations a^o, a^e, o^e--_c^a^o^s, c^a^e, ro^e_. But in order to
diphthongize oa, ea, and eo, when the accent naturally falls on the
first vowel, the accent must shift to the second, which is a dominant
vowel. Such diphthongization is harsh. For example, _loa_ would shift
the accent from o to a in order to form a diphthong. The accent would
also shift in _cre^a, fe^o_.
(2) _When one of the contiguous vowels is weak and the other strong. _
(a) There is no diphthong if an accented weak vowel precedes a strong.
Ex. _Yo, que a tus ojos en mi agoni|a_, p. 171, XV, l. 18.
Synaeresis is, however, sometimes employed to overcome this rule.
The accent must then shift.
Ex. _Habi^a llegado una nave. _ Calderon.
(b) There is no diphthong if an accented weak vowel follows a strong.
Ex. _? Como puede re|ir? _ p. 182, XLIX, l. 4.
Synaeresis serves sometimes to overcome this rule. The result is
usually harsh.
Ex. _En re^ir a costa ajena, les prepara. _
(c) If an accented strong vowel precedes a weak, they form a
diphthong. The diphthong is rarely dissolved, and is usually marked
with a diaresis, if dissolution takes place.
Ex. _Beso del aura, onda de luz_, p. 170, XV, l. 5.
(d) If an accented strong vowel follows a weak they may or may not
form a diphthong.
Ex. _Por una sonrisa, un ci^elo_, p. 172, XXIII, l. 2. [Diphthong. ]
Ex. _Domando el rebelde, mezquino idi|oma_, p. 164, I, l. 6. [No
diphthong. ]
Diaeresis or synaeresis may usually be employed according to the case.
Thus, _fiel_ becomes by diaeresis _fi|el_, and _br|ioso_ becomes by
synaeresis _bri^oso_.
It should be remembered that in some words the accentuation is
variable, while in others it is fixed.
There are two classes of words that have a variable accentuation:
first, those in which an unaccented weak vowel is followed by an
accented strong vowel, e. g. _majestu^oso_, _majestu|oso_; second,
those in which an accented strong vowel is followed by an unaccented
strong vowel, e. g. _tra|e, tra^e. _
Ex. _Cre^es que la afe|an_. Becquer.
_Cre|es que suspirando pasa el viento_, p. 171, XVI, l. 3.
Etymological conditions often determine whether or not a diphthong is
formed.
ie and ue, derived from the Latin e and o respectively, form
indissoluble diphthongs.
The ending -ion for substantives is usually a diphthong and rarely
suffers dissolution.
Synaeresis may be employed to unite in a single syllable two
contiguous vowels (unaccented weak + accented strong) that are
separated on account of etymology, or, in the case of derivatives,
analogy with the original word; but diaeresis is employed very rarely
to dissolve a proper diphthongal combination (unaccented weak +
accented strong).
For example, _di|ario_ by analogy with _dia_, and _fi|o_ from the
Latin _fidavit_, have ordinarily the _i_ in separate syllables, but a
diphthong may be formed by synaeresis.
(3) _When the two contiguous vowels are weak_.
(a) Two contiguous weak vowels with the accent on the first form an
indissoluble diphthong, e. g. _mu^y_.
(b) Two contiguous weak vowels with the accent on the second may or
may not form a diphthong.
Ex. _Si antes no juras que por ru^in falsia_. Hermosilla.
[Diphthong. ]
Ex. _Con sus mil ru|idos_, p. 188, LXXIII, l. 19, [No diphthong. ]
c. Two contiguous vowels after the accented syllable.
(1) Two contiguous strong vowels after the accented syllable naturally
form a diphthong.
Ex. _Tu, sombra aere^a que, cuantas veces_, p. 170, XV, l. 7.
Diaeresis may be employed to dissolve the diphthong.
(2) If a strong vowel is followed by a weak vowel after the accented
syllable, they form a diphthong, e. g. _hablaba^is, amara^is_.
This diphthong is easily dissolved.
(3) If a weak vowel is followed by a strong vowel after the accented
syllable, they form a diphthong, e. g. _histor^i^a, ans^i^a_.
Ex. _De la brisa nocturna al tenu^e soplo_, p. 192, LXXV, l. 6.
The diphthong may, however, be dissolved, e. g. _estatu|a, tenu|e,
nadi|e_.
3. TRIPHTHONGS AND COMBINATIONS OP THREE OR MORE CONTIGUOUS VOWELS
If three vowels belonging to the same word are contiguous, one of them
must be accented. There are then three possible arrangements.
(i) Three contiguous vowels of a word with the accent on the first,
e. g. _traeos_.
(ii) Three contiguous vowels of a word with the accent on the second,
e. g. creia, _buey_.
(iii) Three contiguous vowels with the accent on the third, e. g.
_rehui_.
Each of the above arrangements has two combinations of accented and
unaccented vowels to which the rules for diphthongs may be applied. In
(i) there will be a combination of two vowels with the first accented,
plus a combination of two vowels after the accent. In _traeos_, for
example, the a and e would probably be in separate syllables by b (1)
(a), and eo would probably form a diphthong by c (1). _Traeos_ would,
then, probably be a dissyllable.
In (ii) there will be a combination of two vowels with the accent an
the second, and one of two vowels with the accent on the first. In
creia, for example, the e and i would be in separate syllables by b
(2) (b), and the i and a would probably be in separate syllables also
by b (2)(a). Therefore, _creia_ would probably be a trisyllable. In
_cambiaos_ the i and a might form one syllable or two by b (2) (_d_),
and the a and o would probably be in separate syllables by b (1) (a).
Therefore, in _cambiaos_ the combination iao might form a dissyllable
or a trisyllable.
In (iii) there will be a combination of two vowels before the accent,
and one of two vowels with the second accented. In _rehui_, for
example, the e and u might be in the same syllable by a (1), or in
separate syllables by dieresis by a (1) (a), and the u and i might be
in separate syllables or not by b (3) (b). Therefore, _rehui_ might be
a monosyllable, a dissyllable, or a trisyllable.
Other combinations of three vowels may be analyzed in a similar way,
as may also combinations of more than three vowels, e. g. _creiais_,
etc.
B. SYNALEPHA
Between the contiguous vowels of separate words there may occur
synalepha (which corresponds to diphthongization within a word), or
hiatus (which is similar to diaeresis within a word).
Ex. _Abre^una^eternidad_, p. 178, XXXVI I, l. 22. _? A que me lo
decis? lo se^:^es mudable_, p. 179, XXXIX, l. 1. [Synalepha. ]
Ex. _Como la onda^azul, en cuya cresta_, p. 173, XXVII, l. 16.
[Hiatus. ]
The vowels contracted by synalepha are each pronounced, except when
the same vowel is repeated, when only a prolonged sound is heard, as
in _onda^azul_ or _se^es_ above.
Synalepha may join into a single syllable two, three, four, and even
five vowels. The union of two vowels (diphthongal synalepha) and the
union of three vowels (triphthongal synalepha) are the most common.
A pause due to a break in sense does not prevent synalepha. Mute h is
disregarded in the verse and does not prevent synalepha.
Ex. _Capaz de encerrarlo, y apenas ? oh^hermosa! _ p. 164, I, l. 10.
DIPHTHONGAL SYNALEPHA
Synalepha takes place between two contiguous unaccented vowels
belonging to separate words.
Ex. _Abre^una^eternidad_, p. 178, XXXVII, l. 22.
Synalepha occurs when the final vowel of the first word is accented.
Ex. _Te vi^un punto, y, flotando ante mis ojos_, p. 169, XIV, l. 1.
Synalepha usually occurs when the initial vowel of the second word is
accented, especially when the first word ends in a weak vowel, and
also in the combinations aa, oa, oa, ea, eo, ee.
Ex. _Me parece^en el cielo de la tarde_, p. 169, XIII, l. 11.
NOTE: Synalepha is possible with the other combinations, but hiatus is
preferable even with the above combinations, in a syllable on which
the rhythmical accent falls (see under Rhythmic Accent).
Ex. _Despierta, hablas, y al hablar, vibrantes_, p. 174, XXVII, l.
23.
Ex. _Como la ola que a la playa_ viene, p. 178, XXXVII, l. 19.
TRIPHTHONGAL SYNALEPHA
There is always triphthongal synalepha when a is the middle vowel; or
when o or e is the middle vowel, except in the following combinations,
aoa, aoo, ooo, aea, aeo, oea, oeo.
Ex. _Silenciosa a expirar_, p. 178, XXXVII, l. 20.
There is never triphthongal synalepha when an accented weak vowel
stands between two strong vowels. Therefore the conjunctions y and u
prevent triphthongal synalepha.
Ex. _Y de purpura y oro la matiza_, p. 168, IX, l. 4.
There may be triphthongal synalepha when i (y) is the middle vowel, if
u precedes it, or i follows it.
Ex.
