Sestina

1
Sestina

• Learn the Sestina pattern

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2
History

• Historically, the Sestina is a French poem form
  first appearing in the 12th century.
• It was used by troubadours or court poets and
  singers in the service of French nobles.
• It often contained themes romantic flirtation and
  desire.

3
Lyric Poetry

• The Sestina is a form of lyric poetry
• Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that does not
  attempt to tell a story but is of a more personal
  nature instead.
• Rather than portraying characters and actions,
  the lyric poet addresses the reader directly,
  portraying his or her own feelings, states of
  mind, and perceptions.

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Traditional Sestina Form

• The lines are grouped into six sestets and a
  concluding tercet.
• A sestet is a stanza containing six lines
• A tercet is a stanza containing three lines
• The Sestina has 39 lines.
• Lines may be of any length. Their length is
  consistent in a single poem. You can use long
  lines or short linesjust keep them consistent.

5
Traditional Sestina Form

• The six words that end each of the lines of the
  first stanza are repeated in a different order at
  the end of lines in each of the subsequent five
  stanzas. The particular pattern is given below.
  (This kind of recurrent pattern is lexical
  repetition.)
• The repeated words are unrhymed.

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Traditional Sestina Form

• The first line of each sestet after the first
  ends with the same word as the one that ended the
  last line of the sestet before it.
• In the closing tercet, each of the six words are
  used, with one in the middle of each line and one
  at the end.

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Traditional Sestina Form

• The pattern of word-repetition is as follows,
  where the words that end the lines of the first
  sestet are represented by the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6

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Stanza Pattern

• 1 2 3 4 5 6 - End words of lines in first
  sestet.
• 6 1 5 2 4 3 - End words of lines in second
  sestet.
• 3 6 4 1 2 5 - End words of lines in third
  sestet.
• 5 3 2 6 1 4 - End words of lines in fourth
  sestet.
• 4 5 1 3 6 2 - End words of lines in fifth
  sestet.
• 2 4 6 5 3 1 - End words of lines in sixth
  sestet.
• (1 2) (3 4) (5 6) - Middle and end words of
  lines in tercet.

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The Tercet

• In the tercet (at the end of the poem) three of
  the end-words appear in the middle of the lines
  and three at the ends
• Check the order its back to 123456.
• Common Variation Many poets arrange the tercet
  end-words in any order they want.
• The traditional pattern ends with 123456.

10
Choosing Repeating Words

• The repetition of words in a Sestina makes this
  form a good match for a story that uses common
  vocabulary.
• In conversation the repetition of key words is
  common.
• The writer of a Sestina can use the repetition to
  delve more deeply into the material.
• Each stanza can revisit that material and show
  more facets of what the poet feels.
• Ending words should have some sort of meaning or
  symbolism for the poem.

11
Line Length

• Traditionally, one keeps the same line length, as
  that gives the rhythmic repetition that the ear
  associates with music. It also gives a pleasant
  appearance on the page.
• Don't be lazy and cut lines short or run them on
  because you can't be bothered to fix the poem's
  flaws.

12
End Words

• Traditionally, the Sestina keeps the same end
  words.