P.Hill+User's+Guide

Writing a sestina provides a series of challenges because of its strict form. It is a six-stanza poem of six-line stanzas with an envoi of three lines at the end. Each line ends in the same series of six words, which are all usually recombined in some way in the envoi. The stanza pattern is as follows, with each number representing the final word of each line of the stanza:

stanza 1 : 123456 stanza 2 : 615243 stanza 3 : 364125 stanza 4 : 532614 stanza 5 : 451362 stanza 6 : 246531

Here is the first stanza of Elizabeth Bishop’s “Sestina” as an example:

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.

If we follow the pattern indicated above, Bishop’s next stanza would begin with the word, “tears,” then proceed with “house,” “almanac,” “grandmother,” “stove,” and finally “child.” Each stanza would progress accordingly. Not the beginning of the stanza, but the end of each line changes, so the same end words are used but in a diferent order in each stanza.

When deciding to write a sestina, it is important to pick a series of six words that you want to use, and try to write a first stanza using those words. Then, you can number them and set that aside as a “key” for writing your poem. I then suggest using lined paper to portion out the stanzas, indicating the word number for each line. That way, you know exactly what word to place where, and there is no second-guessing.

I would also not get too attached to the initial order that you begin with. If you get halfway through the poem and feel like things aren’t working, then see if there are any words that you can rearrange to help the flow of the poem.

Some tricks that you’ll find particularly helpful are to use enjambement like it’s going out of style, and to pick words that have multiple forms and meanings. For instance, not every line needs to end with a complete thought. You can stretch sentences and thoughts across several lines, ending the line with your choice word, and completing the thought in the middle of the next line, before beginning anew. For word choice, consider a wor like “lie.” It can be a word for the action of being prone, or it can be an untruth or the act of telling one. Lie can take many forms, as well, including “lay,” “lain,” “lying,” etc. This will help give you more variety in your poem in spite of its restricting form.

Finally, don’t give up. If you find a combination that is not working for you, don’t give up! You can find a million ways to rework it if you put some time and effort into it.