En cierta catedral | una campana había
Que sólo se tocaba | algún solemne día.
Con el más recio son, | con pausado compás,
Cuatro golpes ó tres | solía dar no más.
N.B.—When both hemistichs end in an accented vowel, the line has but twelve syllables. Sometimes the alexandrine adapts itself to the anapæstic metre, as in Iriarte:
Que despàcio y muy rècio | el dichòso esquilón.
At all events, the only necessary rhythmical accents are those on the sixth and the twelfth syllable. An older form of the alexandrine also existed (see below).
The eleven-syllabled iambic line is called the heroic xxxv verse, from its use in epics, or the hendecasyllable (see below).
The nine-syllabled iambic verse is of French origin. The perfect type, with accents on the second, fourth, sixth and eighth syllables, is seen in
No dè jamás mi dùlce pàtria