Verse Example: Serventesio

The Serventesio or servventés, is a poetic form originated among the troubadours of the Provence region, in France, around the eleventh century.
The first characteristic of the serventesio With respect to other genres, it is that the serventesio deals with almost any subject, except love subjects; It mainly touches on Moral, Political, Literary and Personal issues. And this theme is treated in the form of satire, that is, with the purpose of moralizing, playing games or mocks the subject or the person it deals with, highlighting or criticizing vices, abuses or deficiencies.
Its structure is a stanza of four lines with alternating consonant rhyme: ABAB. The verses that make up the serventesio, generally are verses of major art, which means that they are of more than eight syllables.
The most common is that a serventesio have hendecasyllable verses (11 syllables), although they can also be found with Alexandrian verses (14 syllables). Some variants are in which hendecasyllable and heptasyllable verses alternate. In some cases, like that of the poet Gustavo Adolfo Bequer, the serventesio has an assonance rhyme.

Examples of serventensios:
Example 1:
Spending life in worldly pleasures
Dilapidating all inheritance in vices,
After so many ups and downs, what are you?
A shadow, rubbish, emptiness, loneliness.
Example 2:
We can be less calm today
Because of the economy and its crazy ups and downs;
Taxes are now shear,
And the ills of some, of others the goods.
Example 3:
What to say about that dirty politician
That with his fiery speech he intoxicates,
The ears of naive public
What relief he seeks from a dark life.
Example 4:
In my life, follow me complaining
That my work is worth nothing;
Listen to me! I will soon reach a summit,
We'll see who does stand out.
Example 5:
How dare you young man to compare
In your crazy naive ravings,
The pasquines of Pepe del Costillar,
To the art of the Phoenix of the wits?
Example 6:
I understand your faithful praise of fine art
Learned man of old knowledge,
From the old, classic standard voice,
Is there something left for the home?
Example 7:
You say that my figure does not excite?
You say my mouth is a mailbox?
Your cruel indifference disappoints me
You are an empty and heartless being.
Example 8:
Supreme technique, intelligent,
Ingenuities that fill all of life;
But people of love destitute,
The empty, hollow, uncomfortable soul.
Example 9:
Write your service wisely,
It is not work, study, or easy task;
Maybe try speaking Polynesian
Let it be for a server something more graceful.
Example 10:
Writing a serventesio is a complicated thing
With much more imbricated Alexandrian verse,
All day thinking, with a tired mind,
A few more letters… zaz! we're done.