sestina Definition
a poem of six stanzas of six lines each, usually followed by a three-line envoy, all stanzas having the same six words at the line-ends in six different sequences that follow a fixed pattern, and with all six words appearing in the closing three-line envoy..
Using sestina: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "sestina" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The poet composed a sestina about the changing seasons.
Example
The sestina is a challenging form of poetry to write.
Example
The sestina's intricate structure requires careful planning and attention to detail.
Phrases with sestina
a three-line concluding stanza of a sestina that uses the six end-words in a specific order
Example
The envoy of the sestina repeated the six end-words in a specific order.
Example
The poet created a sestina cycle exploring the themes of love and loss.
double sestina
a poem consisting of twelve stanzas of six lines each, followed by a final stanza of three lines, with the same six words repeated in each stanza in a specific pattern
Example
The double sestina is an even more complex form of poetry than the traditional sestina.
Origins of sestina
from Italian 'sestina', meaning 'sixth'
Summary: sestina in Brief
A 'sestina' [sesˈtiːnə] is a type of poem consisting of six stanzas of six lines each, followed by a three-line envoy. Each stanza has the same six words at the line-ends in six different sequences that follow a fixed pattern, with all six words appearing in the closing envoy. The sestina is a challenging form of poetry that requires careful planning and attention to detail.
