How to Write a Sestina
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A sestina is a form of poetry that uses a method of repeating words at the end of each line. It has 6 stanzas of 6 lines each, with an envoy (or tercet) of three lines to conclude the poem. While a sestina may seem daunting at first, they can be used to create vivid, powerful poems.
Steps
- Become familiar with the structure of a sestina before writing one. You will use 6 repeating words throughout the poem. If you label each word with a letter (e.g. A, B, C, D, E, F), the stanzas will follow this line pattern:
- Stanza 1: A, B, C, D, E, F
- Stanza 2: F, A, E, B, D, C
- Stanza 3: C, F, D, A, B, E
- Stanza 4: E, C, B, F, A, D
- Stanza 5: D, E, A, C, F, B
- Stanza 6: B, D, F, E, C, A
- Tercet: AB CD EF
- What this means is that in Stanza 1, the word you labeled “A” will end Line 1. The word labeled “B” will end Line 2; in Stanza 2, the word you labeled “F” will end Line 1, and so on. This pattern continues throughout the poem. In the tercet, there are only 3 lines. Line 1 will contain word “A” somewhere, and it will end with word “B”; you use the same pattern for the other two lines.
- Example: The first couple of stanzas of a sestina may look like this: Over the world we shall travel (A) And listen to the whales sing (B) Far beneath us in the ocean, (C) Where the water stretches into infinity, (D) And all we can see is the blue (E) Of the sea that is deep. (F)We share our thoughts, those simple and deep (F)With each other as through the marketplace we travel. (A)Far above us is the sky of midnight blue. (E)We hold each other while the mariachis sing, (B)And know that our love reaches infinity. (D)It is greater than even the ocean. (C)
- The tercet might look like this (the repeating words are italicized): We’ve traveled (A) across the world to hear the whales sing (B)And seen the oceans (C) of every land reach into infinity (D)The blue (E) evening settles over us, and the rest we must take is deep (F).
- Stanza 1: A, B, C, D, E, F
- Look at examples of other people’s sestinas. This will help you get an idea of how they are written and how they can sound.
- Choose 6 words. It’s usually a good idea to include at least one verb. There are several ways to do decide what words you want; for example, you could pick 6 random words. However, many times it is helpful to create a word deck:
- Make a list of 100 (or more) words. Include all kinds: verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc. You can use common words, but is often fun to include more exotic, challenging ones as well (such as places or unusual adjectives).
- Write them down on index cards or pieces of paper. Put a rubber band around them, or put them somewhere where they’ll stay together and you won’t lose them.
- You can expand your deck over time to include more and more words. That way you’ll have a large variety to choose from, and your poems will be more diverse.
- Make a list of 100 (or more) words. Include all kinds: verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc. You can use common words, but is often fun to include more exotic, challenging ones as well (such as places or unusual adjectives).
- Label each word with a letter (A, B, C, D, E, or F). Sometimes the order makes a huge difference in how your poem will turn out.
- Write the first stanza. You can often get a feel for the poem in the first stanza. Sometimes it might sound very random and strange, but try to keep writing anyway. You can always revise it later.
- Continue writing the poem, being sure to follow the line pattern.
- Be creative with your line endings. For example, they don’t always have to be complete sentences – the word could flow into the next line.
- Edit your poem as you see fit – sometimes it won’t sound quite right or will not make sense.
- Practice writing more sestinas. The only way to really get good at them is to write several.
Tips
- Use diverse, vibrant words in your sestina for better poetry. Even though it may be more challenging, in the end it’s a lot more fun and sounds great. You can use a few common words, but also use unusual ones – that way your poem will be exciting and dynamic.
- Try combining words that don’t normally go together. For example, you could use these six words: Sing, travel, ocean, blue, infinity, deep. While they may seem unrelated and difficult to use, the diversity allows for greater creativity and expression.
- Try including colors in your words. Having at least one color can give your poem a lot of flavor and atmosphere – it will give readers a visual impression that makes the sestina more interesting.
- The most important part of a sestina is the line pattern. If you don't follow it, it's not a sestina!
- Sestinas aren't designed as rhyming poetry, because the rhythm and pattern makes it difficult to keep a rhyme going. You can try to rhyme if you want, but focusing more on imagery might make a better sestina.
Things You'll Need
- Word deck (optional)
- Paper or digital word processor
- Pen or pencil
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