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Poetry Forum Index -> Poetic Form and Technique

Sleep (#7 Sestina)

LifeVita6
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Eiregirl



Joined: 21 Jul 2005
Posts: 10230
Location: Chasing a pink bunny
Sleep (#7 Sestina)

What is a sestina?
The sestina is a French form that is a very strict ordered form of poetry
The sestina consists of six six-line (sestets) stanzas followed by a three-line envoi (triplet). Now comes the interesting part…there is no rhyme scheme for a sestina…you are probably saying thank you no more schemes…well it gets worse. Rather than use a rhyme scheme, the six ending words of the first sestet are repeated as the ending words of the remaining five sestets in a set pattern. The envoi uses two of the ending words per line, again in a set pattern. There is no set length for each line of verse but a lot who write this form of poetry like to keep it as uniform as possible.

Structure of the poem…

The sestet pattern is as follows…
1 2 3 4 5 6 is the order of words that end each line in the first sestet.
6 1 5 2 4 3 is the order of words that end each line in the second sestet.
3 6 4 1 2 5 is the order of words that end each line in the third sestet.
5 3 2 6 1 4 is the order of words that end each line in the fourth sestet.
4 5 1 3 6 2 is the order of words that end each line in the fifth sestet.
2 4 6 5 3 1 is the order of words that end each line in the sixth sestet.

The envoi (triplet or tercet) pattern has some variations to it here are a few
(2 5) (4 3) (1 6) are the middle and end words of lines in the tercet and other variations are
(6 2) (1 4) (5 3)
(1 4) (2 5) (3 6)

I know this is a confusing form of poetry especially the envoi so I will give another explanation of that.
The concluding tercet is set up as follows…using the first sestet as the example
(2 5) The middle word of first line of the tercet uses the last word of the second line of the first sestet and the last word of the fifth line of the first sestet is the last word of this line of the tercet…(2 5).
(4 3) The middle word of the second line of the tercet uses the last word of the fourth line of the first sestet and the last word of the third line of the first sestet is the last word of this line of the tercet…(4 3).
(1 6) The middle word of the last line of the tercet uses the last word of the first line of the first sestet and the last word of the sixth line of the sestet is the last word of the last line of the tercet…(1 6).

Yes it is very confusing and it is difficult to write…but if you read a few written in this form and practice you will get the hang of it and it can be very enjoyable.

How about a little history now…

This is an elaborate verse form developed sometime around 1200AD by Arnaut Daniel, and employed by medieval Provencal and Italian poets on into the renaissance. Poets such as Petrarch, Dante, Eliot and many other famous poets have used this form. Algernon Charles Swinburne composed a remarkable double sestina with twelve stanzas of twelve lines each titled “Complaint of Lisa” read it you may enjoy it. In fact read many and then write one.

Poems to read…
Altaforte by Ezra Pound
Wild Waters, Unsteady Ground by Jessica MacBeth
Complaint of Lisa by Algernon Charles Swinburne
Sestina by Elizabeth Bishop

Now my poem…

Sleep

Laying in bed on a cool clear night
I think I am sleeping
But of this I’m not sure
I feel like I am floating on air
I listen but hear nothing
There is nothing to hear

I wonder why there is nothing to hear
There is only silence in the night
I feel...I see...I hear nothing
I look down and see you sleeping
How can this be...am I floating on air
Of this I am not sure

Could this all be just a dream...I do not know for sure
Suddenly a sound off in the distance I hear
It shakes and reverberates through the air
Thunder shatters the darkened night
I felt it shake the bed in which we are sleeping
Or did I feel it...a thought comes to me...nothing

Why do so many...make so much out of nothing
Perhaps of themselves they are not sure
Maybe instead of thinking and floating I should be sleeping
I look down at my sleeping princess...your breathing I can hear
Just a few hours ago we watched the stars of the night
We sat and watched them twinkle in the cool crisp air

It is so wonderful to sit in silence with you in the open air
With you by my side...the cares of the world are as nothing
As nothing to us as we sit here in the darkness of the night
In the light…or the night our love we express...of this I am sure
I lay my head upon your chest...your beating heart I do hear
I see this as I float above watching us...sleeping

I think to myself...how I love watching you sleeping
It is strange watching you while floating on air
The storm has passed and silence I do hear
Once again the only sound...is nothing
Looking at you...of my love for you I am sure
It starts with the morning sun and lasts through the night

In the darkness of the night feeling the cool crisp air
We lay in each other arms sleeping in the silence there is nothing
Of this I am sure...there is silence to hear



(Edit #1 added type of poem to the subject line)
(Edit #2 found a misspelled word and fixed it)
(Edit #3 removed vote for next poem)


Last edited by Eiregirl on Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:03 pm; edited 3 times in total

Post Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:45 pm 
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ghost



Joined: 06 Nov 2005
Posts: 2828
Location: MIA


ghost reads... and reads again.... and reads again...

then ghost reads the poem... back to the style.... back to the poem....

ghost ends up thinking... this you cannot do in one reading.

ghost is absolutely amazed at eire's talent.

thanks for making my head spin, evee! lol

ghost gets back to work...

regards
ghost

Post Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:14 am 
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Eiregirl



Joined: 21 Jul 2005
Posts: 10230
Location: Chasing a pink bunny


ghost,

Thank you very very much for reading and reading...it is very much appreciated and your reply is even more appreciated.

It was my pleasure to make your head spin lol

Thank you ghost very much for your compliments

Hugs,
Eiregirl

Post Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:46 pm 
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animaanna



Joined: 22 Aug 2005
Posts: 323
Location: Portland, OR


Hmmm - great job Eire - your talent astounds me. I too read, and re-read, then read one more time, and still am not sure I would ever be able to write in this form.

Really enjoying the forms.
Much love
Jilli
_________________
"Poetry is the silent voice that is heard everywhere inside of us..."

Post Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:17 pm 
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Eiregirl



Joined: 21 Jul 2005
Posts: 10230
Location: Chasing a pink bunny


anima,

Thank you very much for your compliments
I am happy you are enjoying this series of poems as I am enjoying doing it.

Hug and thank you very much,
Evee

Post Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:58 am 
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irisheyes



Joined: 18 Jun 2005
Posts: 420


Eiregirl
Loved this.
Very Happy
Hugs to you and your loved one
Irisheyes

Post Mon May 01, 2006 6:12 am 
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Eiregirl



Joined: 21 Jul 2005
Posts: 10230
Location: Chasing a pink bunny


quote:
Originally posted by irisheyes:
Eiregirl
Loved this.
Very Happy
Hugs to you and your loved one
Irisheyes


Irisheyes shining brightly in the night
To behold them is to see starlight

Thank you sweet one Smile

Eiregirl Arrow

Post Tue May 02, 2006 7:58 pm 
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