Not all accents satisfy the rhythmical requirements in a verse. Insufficient accents are those of the prepositions that have one (contra, para, etc.), those of the demonstratives before their nouns, those of the forms of the indefinite article (the definite article has none), those of monosyllabic adverbs before the words that they modify (bien alojado, etc.). Moreover, the verse is impaired when a strong, accidental accent precedes immediately a necessary accent, as in Mis ruegos cruèl òye.
Cæsura.—In the longer verses, a necessary pause or break in a determined place is called the cæsura. The cæsura requires a strong accent on the word preceding it, and does not prevent synalœpha; Garcilaso:
¿Ves el furor | del animoso viento
Embravecido | en la fragosa sierra?
The different kinds of verse.—N.B. In naming Spanish verse forms, all syllables, even those after the final accent, are taken into account.
The longest trochaic verse is the octosyllabic. In its typical form it has four accents, viz., on the first, third, fifth and seventh syllables:
Bràma, | bùfa, es|càrba, | huèle.
But only one of the rhythmical accents is necessary, viz., that on the seventh syllable; Heredia:
Ya tu familia gozòsa
Se prepara, amado pàdre.