The Silva Options

[Tinker]

The Silva, a subverse form of the Canción, has unlimited number of Italianate lines (mixed 7 and 11 syllables) with a consonant rhyme scheme. In the 16th century Silvas were used for soliloquies of persons of high rank for "highly emotional narration and description."

In English prosody the term consonant rhyme means vowel sounds are disregarded and only the last consonant or penultimate and last consonants are considered. However in Spanish prosody, consonant rhyme is full rhyme, considering the last stressed or accented vowel, a following consonant and if any, a following unstressed vowel.

There are 4 types of Silvas:

1. Silva de consonantes has:

a. couplets of alternating 7-11 syllabic lines. 7-11-7-11-7-11-7-11-7-11 etc.
b. consonant-full rhyme aabbccdd etc.

2. Seven-Eleven

a. couplets of mixed or irregular 7 and 11 syllabic line. 7-7-7-11-11-11-7 etc or 7-11-7-7-11-7-11-7-11 or whatever combination at the discretion of the poet. (although L6 and if there is a L11 are always 11 syllables.)

b. consonant-full rhyme with some lines unrhymed Rhyme scheme at discretion of poet.

3. All Eleven

a. all lines are hendecasyllabic.
b. at least 50% with consonant-full rhyme, less than 50% unrhymed

4. Seven-Eleven Couplet Rhyme

a. Any number of consonant-full rhymed couplets
b. with mixed, irregular 7-11 syllable line length.