How to Write a Sestina Poem

Guide Note

The sestina's strict rules and structure make it one of the more difficult poetic forms to master, but there are methods you can follow to help you quickly learn the basics of How to Write a Sestina.

Table of Contents

Sestina Poem Tips

  1. Choose six words to work with.
  2. Write your first sestet with each word ending one line.
  3. Follow designated end word patterns for the remaining five sestets.
  4. Be sure that the plot of the poem progresses.
  5. Create the three line envoi using two end words in each line.
  6. Don't be afraid to get creative.

Introduction

(CC photo by Elektra)
(CC photo by Elektra)
  • The sestina has been challenging poets since the 12th century, when French Poet Arnaut Daniel first invented it as a form of courtly entertainment. Complicated structurally, it has fascinated poets for centuries. Great poets like Elizabeth Bishop and Ezra Pound are among the many who stepped up and mastered this poetic art form to dazzle their readers.
  • Don't let the fact that writing a sestina is a difficult task discourage you from trying your hand at it. Writing a sestina can be an incredibly rewarding experience that will make you feel like you can write just about anything.

Step 1: Choose Your Words Carefully

(Creative Commons photo by karpidis)
(Creative Commons photo by karpidis)
  • "Choose your words carefully." Nowhere is this expression more meaningful than when you're preparing to write a sestina. The sestina consists of thirty-nine lines broken into six sestets, which is a six line stanza, and ending with a three line stanza called the envoi.
  • Traditionally, each line is written in iambic pentameter, which means there will be ten beats per line following the stress pattern "daDum daDum daDum daDum daDum."
  • That sounds easy enough when you look it over, but there is one final twist that sets the challenge. You must choose six words that repeat at the end of each line in the sestets.

TIP: While it is not a requirement, some sestina writers find it easier to work with nouns as their six repeated words.

  • We will be looking at parts of Elizabeth Bishop's "Sestina" to see what the sestina is made of. Below are the six words she chose to alternate throughout her poem. As you can see, they are all nouns.
  1. House
  2. Grandmother
  3. Child
  4. Stove
  5. Almanac
  6. Tears

Step 2: Repetitive Word Pattern

(Creative Commons photo by erloteiel)
(Creative Commons photo by erloteiel)
  • Once you've chosen your six words, it's time to get to work on your sestets. As mentioned in Step 1, the six words you chose to work with will appear at the end of each line in every sestet in a pattern. In the first sestet, they appear in this order:
  1. House—A
  2. Grandmother—B
  3. Child—C
  4. Stove—D
  5. Almanac—E
  6. Tears—F
  • Note that each word falls at the end of the line. The stressed beats are bolded and in all capitals to demonstrate iambic pentameter. Bishop did not follow the iambic pentameter in the last two lines of the stanza.
  • SepTEMber RAIN falls ON the HOUSE.
  • In THE failING light, THE old GRANDmother
  • sits IN the KITCHen WITH the CHILD
  • beSIDE the LITtle MARVel STOVE,
  • readING the JOKES from THE alMANac,
  • laughING and TALKing TO hide HER tears.
  • The remaining stanzas break down to follow the pattern laid out below. Note that each of the original words have been assigned letters A—F. I will rearrange the letters into the proper pattern to indicate the order in which they will fall in remaining stanzas.
  • Let's have a look at stanza two of Elizabeth Bishop's "Sestina" to see how the words fall.
  • She thinks that her equinoctial tears—F
  • and the rain that beats on the roof of the house—A
  • were both foretold by the almanac,—E
  • but only known to a grandmother.—B
  • The iron kettle sings on the stove.—D
  • She cuts some bread and says to the child,—C
  • The remaining end lines of each sestet will end in the following word patterns:

Step 3: Envoi

(Creative Commons photo by re_birf)
(Creative Commons photo by re_birf)
  • The final part of the Sestina is the three line envoi. The envoi is made up of the six words you have been using all along, with the first end word landing about mid-stanza, and the second end word ending the stanza.
  • Time to plant TEARS, says the ALMANAC.—(EF)
  • The Grandmother sings to the marvelous STOVE —(CD)
  • and the CHILD draws another inscrutable HOUSE.—(AB)
  • The repetition of the words is one of the most difficult aspects of writing a sestina because like the sonnet, the sestina gradually builds like a story, and the envoi is meant to provide a sense of closure.

Tips for a Successful Sestina

(Creative Commons photo by Michael Chen)
(Creative Commons photo by Michael Chen)
  • With all of those technical requirements for writing a sestina, one might find themselves asking, "Where is the creativity in that?" The answer is in your personal inspiration and how well you carry out the plans. Like painting, writing has very technical aspects, but it is the creative spin that one adds that makes a painting or a poem stand out as a true work of art.
  • Here are a few tips to help you stay on the creative side when things start to feel too technical:
  1. Read examples of sestinas written by great poets. There is no better way to see the artistic side then by examining the style and technique of another poet.
  2. There is no need to end each line simply because you've reached the end of the line. Allow action to flow over into the next line if it serves the poem.
  3. Don't be afraid to modify end words. For example, if one of your end words is snow, you could add an s to the end and change the context of the word completely.
  4. Choose words that don't normally go together, for example snow and grin. This gives you a lot of room to flex your creative muscles.
  5. Don't complicate your sestina by trying to make it rhyme!
  • The last tip is a little on the technical side, but incredibly important, and that is practice! Your first sestina is probably not going to be a masterpiece, but practice will familiarize you with the form, and eventually you will be able to move more comfortably within it.

Conclusion

  • Writing your own sestina is incredibly challenging, but it can also be a lot of fun. The strict structural requirements might feel like constraints at first, but with a little bit of practice, you may find that your creativity explodes within the confinement. Don't be afraid to share your finished sestina at a poetry reading or with your writer's group because completing this task is most definitely a feat to be proud of!

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