We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Poetry

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Sestina?

By Kathy Hawkins
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 12,558
Share

The sestina is a type of formal poem that relies on an exact structure of language. A sestina, by definition, consists of 39 lines — six six-line stanzas, followed by a three-line stanza, known as a tercet. Traditionally, the sestina was written in iambic pentameter; however, most writers today do not see that as a necessity for the form.

In a sestina, the writer must choose six different words which will be used as the last word in each line of the poem. For example, the last word for each line in the first stanza could be: dog, rain, child, sin, garden, fight. In the next stanza, the words shift in order; the second stanza's lines would then end: rain, child, sin, garden, fight, dog. This process continues until the sixth stanza.

In the final tercet, the first line will contain the words "dog" and "rain", the second will contain "child" and "sin", and the third will contain "garden" and "fight"; however, they need not be at the end of the line.

The sestina was first invented in the 12th century, by a famous French troubadour, Arnaut Daniel. Throughout history, many well-known poets have written sestinas; among them, Elizabeth Bishop, Dante, Ezra Pound, and W.H. Auden. Additionally, a popular online literary journal, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, regularly publishes sestinas on various subjects — a recent submission is entitled, "Sestina with Clementines, Beer, and Guitar."

Because the sestina has such a strict form, many writers find that writing sestinas help them to explore their creativity. Because they are limited to reusing certain words, they are forced to come up with original lines where the words will fit in. Often, writers will start a poem as a sestina, and then edit it down into a less structured free-verse poem.

If you want to write a sestina, the best way to learn is to study examples of sestinas by other writers. Some successful, well-known sestinas that are readily available are Elizabeth Bishop's "Sestina" and Ezra Pound's "Sestina: Altaforte." Many books on poetry also focus on sestinas; for a good overview of the sestina and other forms of poetry, read Mary Oliver's A Poetry Handbook.

Share
Language & Humanities is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.languagehumanities.org/what-is-a-sestina.htm
Copy this link
Language & Humanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Language & Humanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.