Spanish poetry This article concerns poetry in Spain. Medieval Spain The Medieval period covers 400 years of different poetry texts and can be broken up into five categories. Primitive lyrics Since the findings of the Kharjas, which are mainly two, three, ...

, a silva is a

poetic form Poetry (from the Greek word '' poiesis'', "making") is a form of literary art that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, literal or surface-level meanings. Any particul ...

consisting of in eleven- and seven- syllable lines: hendecasyllables (''endecasílabos'') and heptasyllables (''heptasílabos''), the majority of which are rhymed although there is no fixed order or rhyme, nor is there a fixed number of lines. Silvas are used by persons of high rank, usually in

soliloquies Soliloquy (from Latin: "talking by oneself") is a device often used in drama. Soliloquy may also refer to: * ''Soliloquy'' (2002 film), a 2002 film by Jacques Zanetti, starring Diahnne Abbott and Drena De Niro * ''Soliloquy'' (McCoy Tyner album ...

, and for highly emotional narration and description. The use of the silva can be found in

Luis de Góngora Luis de Góngora y Argote (born Luis de Argote y Góngora; ; 11 July 1561 – 24 May 1627) was a Spanish Baroque lyric poet and a Catholic prebendary for the Church of Córdoba. Góngora and his lifelong rival, Francisco de Quevedo, are widel ...

's ''

Soledades ''Las Soledades'' (''Solitudes'') is a poem by Luis de Góngora, composed in 1613 in silva (Spanish strophe) in hendecasyllables (lines of eleven syllables) and heptasyllables (seven syllables). Góngora intended to divide the poem in four part ...

'' and in

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Sor or SOR may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * School of Rock, 2003 film starring Jack Black * Shades of Rhythm, a British based rave music group * Son of Rambow, 2008 film starring Bill Milner and Will Poulter * Sor, Serdar Ortaç ...

's ''First Dream''.

External links

Spanish Metrification By A. Robert Lauer
{{poetry-stub Poetic forms