Writing the Sestina

1
Writing the Sestina

• Step-by-step method
• for writing a Sestina

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2
Note

• Examples for the following use Elizabeth Bishops
  Sestina

3
Emotional Moments

• The Sestina does not tell the entire story
• Instead it focus on one moment that showcases the
  emotion or personal experience
• Bishops moment was the narrators emotion
  surrounding the death of her husband

4
Emotional Moment

• Choose two emotional moments you can recall

5
Meaningful Words and Symbols

• List three active verbs for the moment
• List three concrete nouns for each word

6
Emotional Moment

• Choose the one moment that inspires
• List 10 words that describe that moment
• Use active verbs and concrete nouns
• Choose the six best words that can be used to
  emphasize the meaning or show symbolism
• Explain the connection for each word

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Bishops WordsNote reasons are only theories
and not her actual reasons for using the words

• House Place where she lived with her husband
• Grandmother Her age (uses old many times as an
  adjective to the word)
• Child What she once was and the family
  connection
• Stove Where she took care of her husband, source
  of comfort
• Almanac Tells the future and what cannot be
  avoided
• Tears Sadness about the husbands passing

8
Plot

• A plot is needed
• When and where is the moment taking place
• What is happening during the moment
• Do not tell the complete event, but only that one
  moment
• Bishops plot
• Narrator sits in the kitchen with her grandchild
• She talks and laughs as she reads jokes from the
  almanac
• An iron kettle squeals on the stove
• She cuts break, serves tea, hangs up the almanac,
  adds word in the stove, busies herself around the
  kitchen
• The grandchild sits at the table and draws
  pictures

9
Plot

• What are the basic actions and setting in your
  Sestinas plot?
• When and where is the moment happening
• What activity is going on during the moment

10
Stanza Patterns

• With Bishops first stanza, number each line 1-6
• Then with the rest of the poem, number the rest
  of the lines with the corresponding number from
  above
• House will be number 1
• Grandmother will be number 2
• And so on

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Stanza Patterns

• On a sheet of paper number the first six lines
  with 1-6 at the END of a blank area
• Example
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6

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First Stanza

• Put each of the words at the end of one line
• -or-
• Write the first stanza using one of those six
  words at the end of a line. Words can only be
  used once.
• Number lines from 1-6 when done

13
Rest of Stanzas

• Skip a line to start a new stanza
• Using the pattern on the next slide, number the
  next six lines in the order of the correct stanza
• Example
• Stanza two will have the lines ending in this
  order 6, 1, 5, 2, 4, 3

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Stanza Pattern

• 1 2 3 4 5 6 - End words of lines in first
  sestet.
• 6 1 5 2 4 3 - End words of lines in second
  sestet.
• 3 6 4 1 2 5 - End words of lines in third
  sestet.
• 5 3 2 6 1 4 - End words of lines in fourth
  sestet.
• 4 5 1 3 6 2 - End words of lines in fifth
  sestet.
• 2 4 6 5 3 1 - End words of lines in sixth
  sestet.
• (1 2) (3 4) (5 6) - Middle and end words of
  lines in tercet.

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Tercet

• For the tercet put words 1, 3 and 5 in the middle
  of their lines and 2, 4 and 6 and the end of
  their lines
• Line 1 Word 1 in middle and word 2 as last word
• Line 1 Word 3 in middle and word 4 as last word
• Line 1 Word 5 in middle and word 6 as last word

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Completing the Sestina

• Write the rest of the poem using the words
  patterns as a guideline
• Lines should tell the plot
• Lines should show the emotional moment
• Keep line length consistent
• Within a few words or length as the line above it
• Do not vary line length or word ending order