General Non-Fiction posted July 20, 2024 |
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a how-to, why-do, and to-what-degree-boo
Making a Sestina
by Bill Schott
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aYqBFm4MPNk/maxresdefault.jpg)
There are many idiosyncrasies involved in sculpting a patterned poem. When there are so many, sometimes poets will make adjustments to keep their original thoughts above the need to fold into a format.
Sonnets, for example, evolve from Petrarch to Wyatt, Spenser to Shakespeare, and on to the modern forms which shed syllabic and staging tenants.
Haiku have dozens of forms which, we are told, represent different moods and purposes for the poetic variances.
All these forms are mentioned to lead us to the sestina.
According to Google:
“a sestina is a fixed verse form consisting of six stanzas of six lines each, normally followed by a three-line envoi. The words that end each line of the first stanza are used as line endings in each of the following stanzas, rotated in a set pattern.”
The best way I have found to begin this poem is to cultivate the “end words” that will be used and reused in the poem. There will only be six end words which will appear at the end of each sestet, or six-word stanza.
First, choose a subject. Let’s say COWBOYS. Next, find six words that connect with this subject. Let’s decide on these words: lasso, cattle, saddle, dusters, lonesome, and brand
Since these will be the last words in the poetic lines, begin by assigning each a number.
1 lasso
2 cattle
3 saddle
4 dusters
5 lonesome
6 brand
There will be six six-line stanzas and an envoi. The first will be as the example above, while the succeeding stanzas will rearrange the end words like this: LAST word, FIRST, second to last, second, lower middle, and upper middle.
So, the framework will look like this, reading top to bottom, column by column:
1 6 3 5 4 2 1
2 1 6 3 5 4 2
3 5 4 2 1 6 3
4 2 1 6 3 5 4
5 4 2 1 6 3 5
6 3 5 4 2 1 6
Then, we assign the end words to the numbered order:
1 2 3 4 5 6 envoi
lasso brand saddle lonesome dusters cattle lasso
cattle lasso brand saddle lonesome dusters cattle
saddle lonesome dusters cattle lasso brand saddle
dusters cattle lasso brand saddle lonesome dusters
lonesome dusters cattle lasso brand saddle lonesome
brand saddle lonesome dusters cattle lasso brand
Place the stanza end words in order, then the envoi can take on a few different formats. The easiest one, which I am using here, is 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 on the three last lines. The even numbered word would be the end word, and the odd numbered word will appear somewhere in the line.
lasso-cattle
saddle-dusters
lonesome-brand
So, the next step is to fill in the lines with words that make sense and support the subject -- cowboy. The use of syllable count is varied, but mostly eight or ten syllables. Meter can be used or not, and varied lengths of lines is also an option.
spins his trusty rope into a lasso
rings a certain cow among the cattle
cinches the strained line onto his saddle
the sand and sediment tests his dusters
a man upon a horse may seem lonesome
the sight alone on horseback is his brand
the time has come to institute a brand
he forms a working loop with a lasso
the cow-eyed steer may feel a bit lonesome
observed by useless kin -- other cattle
cow pies jump and splash against his dusters
cannot reach the cowboy in his saddle
he pulls the iron bar from his saddle
to heat the bent initial for the brand
the fire's heat challenges his dusters
the tension tests the strength of his lasso
observed by tethered fire-hating cattle
all leaving the cowboy further lonesome
the shadow of our cowboy seems lonesome
man alone within a stream of cattle
humanity above and in his saddle
the keeper of the heated stick to brand
the hold of the neck-embracing lasso
behold the vested cowboy in dusters
the sandy desert falls from his dusters
like the desert he still remains lonesome
on the horn of his saddle hangs a lasso
the lasso that hangs from his saddle
charred on his boot is the ranch's brand
which also appears on the sides of cattle
so few cowboys to stay with the cattle
so few cowboys to wear their dusters
so few cowboys to issue the brand
the cowboys so truly are lonesome
no one to sit alone in a saddle
no one to circle and tass a lasso
he tosses the lasso towards the cattle
upon his saddle attired with dusters
the cowboy with lonesome as his brand
Once the initial poem is written, work to make it better before posting. Sometimes you may choose to change an end word. That’s fine, remembering that they all change in each stanza and continue to make sense.
Teach Me Something (2) writing prompt entry
There are many idiosyncrasies involved in sculpting a patterned poem. When there are so many, sometimes poets will make adjustments to keep their original thoughts above the need to fold into a format.
Sonnets, for example, evolve from Petrarch to Wyatt, Spenser to Shakespeare, and on to the modern forms which shed syllabic and staging tenants.
Haiku have dozens of forms which, we are told, represent different moods and purposes for the poetic variances.
All these forms are mentioned to lead us to the sestina.
According to Google:
“a sestina is a fixed verse form consisting of six stanzas of six lines each, normally followed by a three-line envoi. The words that end each line of the first stanza are used as line endings in each of the following stanzas, rotated in a set pattern.”
The best way I have found to begin this poem is to cultivate the “end words” that will be used and reused in the poem. There will only be six end words which will appear at the end of each sestet, or six-word stanza.
First, choose a subject. Let’s say COWBOYS. Next, find six words that connect with this subject. Let’s decide on these words: lasso, cattle, saddle, dusters, lonesome, and brand
Since these will be the last words in the poetic lines, begin by assigning each a number.
1 lasso
2 cattle
3 saddle
4 dusters
5 lonesome
6 brand
There will be six six-line stanzas and an envoi. The first will be as the example above, while the succeeding stanzas will rearrange the end words like this: LAST word, FIRST, second to last, second, lower middle, and upper middle.
So, the framework will look like this, reading top to bottom, column by column:
1 6 3 5 4 2 1
2 1 6 3 5 4 2
3 5 4 2 1 6 3
4 2 1 6 3 5 4
5 4 2 1 6 3 5
6 3 5 4 2 1 6
Then, we assign the end words to the numbered order:
1 2 3 4 5 6 envoi
lasso brand saddle lonesome dusters cattle lasso
cattle lasso brand saddle lonesome dusters cattle
saddle lonesome dusters cattle lasso brand saddle
dusters cattle lasso brand saddle lonesome dusters
lonesome dusters cattle lasso brand saddle lonesome
brand saddle lonesome dusters cattle lasso brand
Place the stanza end words in order, then the envoi can take on a few different formats. The easiest one, which I am using here, is 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 on the three last lines. The even numbered word would be the end word, and the odd numbered word will appear somewhere in the line.
lasso-cattle
saddle-dusters
lonesome-brand
So, the next step is to fill in the lines with words that make sense and support the subject -- cowboy. The use of syllable count is varied, but mostly eight or ten syllables. Meter can be used or not, and varied lengths of lines is also an option.
spins his trusty rope into a lasso
rings a certain cow among the cattle
cinches the strained line onto his saddle
the sand and sediment tests his dusters
a man upon a horse may seem lonesome
the sight alone on horseback is his brand
the time has come to institute a brand
he forms a working loop with a lasso
the cow-eyed steer may feel a bit lonesome
observed by useless kin -- other cattle
cow pies jump and splash against his dusters
cannot reach the cowboy in his saddle
he pulls the iron bar from his saddle
to heat the bent initial for the brand
the fire's heat challenges his dusters
the tension tests the strength of his lasso
observed by tethered fire-hating cattle
all leaving the cowboy further lonesome
the shadow of our cowboy seems lonesome
man alone within a stream of cattle
humanity above and in his saddle
the keeper of the heated stick to brand
the hold of the neck-embracing lasso
behold the vested cowboy in dusters
the sandy desert falls from his dusters
like the desert he still remains lonesome
on the horn of his saddle hangs a lasso
the lasso that hangs from his saddle
charred on his boot is the ranch's brand
which also appears on the sides of cattle
so few cowboys to stay with the cattle
so few cowboys to wear their dusters
so few cowboys to issue the brand
the cowboys so truly are lonesome
no one to sit alone in a saddle
no one to circle and tass a lasso
he tosses the lasso towards the cattle
upon his saddle attired with dusters
the cowboy with lonesome as his brand
Once the initial poem is written, work to make it better before posting. Sometimes you may choose to change an end word. That’s fine, remembering that they all change in each stanza and continue to make sense.
Writing Prompt In this round of Teach Me Something, the theme is writing. Ex: How To-- Craft great comedy, horror, true crime, suspense thriller, etc., or some aspect of it. Write effective dialogue, character/plot development, world building, etc., or some aspect of it. Write specific forms of poetry or poetic devices (eg. alliteration, assonance, consonance) Use literary devices (eg. irony, foreshadowing) Grammar/mechanics (eg. Use of commas, hyphens, italics, word choice, spelling tips for tricky words) Assignment: **Choose a topic you know or have experience with **Write a tutorial or tips for others to learn about or improve some facet of their writing **Your title or subtitle should say what that topic is **Recommended word count: 100-1000 words |
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