How to Write a Sestina

A traditional poetic form created by Arnaut Daniel, the sestina is made up of six six-line stanzas and a final three-line envoi. Written in iambic pentameter, the sestina is unique in that the poet is required to end each line using a set pattern of the same six words.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Dictionaries
• Thesauri

1. Consider the subject matter that you wish to write about. Think about words related to your subject that you could use several times throughout your poem.
2. Write your first stanza (and those that follow) using iambic pentameter. The words that end each line in this stanza (identified as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) will determine the words that end every stanza in your sestina.
3. Add a second stanza using those words in a 6, 1, 5, 2, 4, 3 order. If you do this correctly, the word used to end the first line of this stanza should be the same one you used in the sixth line of the previous stanza. The second should match the first, and so on.
4. Write a third stanza using a 3, 6, 4, 1, 2, 5 pattern, followed by a fourth stanza with a 5, 3, 2, 6, 1, 4 pattern. Stanza five should use a 4, 5, 1, 3, 6, 2 pattern, and stanza six should employ a 2, 4, 6, 5, 3, 1 pattern.
5. Draft a seventh stanza that is three lines in length, using all six ending words in the following places. Your ending words used in the second, fourth and sixth lines must be used halfway through the lines of this stanza. The fifth, third and first ending words of the first stanza are used to end the lines of this stanza, in that order.
6. Revise as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• It is often helpful to select the six words you want to use before writing even the first stanza. In the best sestinas, the words used to end your rhymes should say something about your subject all by themselves.
• To avoid a repetitive sound in your verse, vary your use of enjambment. Just because you are using a word at the end of the line does not mean that it has to occur at the end of every thought. This tip is especially important when making the transition between stanzas, as the same ending word will appear in two consecutive lines.
• When poets write sestinas, they tend to put the word "sestina" in the titles. They want readers to realize the level of work and difficulty involved in writing the poem.
• One of the challenges of writing a sestina is to create one that can be read aloud without the audience being conscious of hearing the same six words repeated seven times.
• If you have trouble writing your sestina, remember that you're attempting to write one of the most difficult poetic forms in existence. The challenge of writing a sestina has made it popular, but at the same time the form is not for the novice.
• Do not be discouraged by peers claiming to be poets. When you hear a poet say how much he or she dislikes writing in form, remember that a great artist sees the opportunities in every canvas, regardless or shape or size. A poor artist sees only the limitations.

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