A sestina is a fixed verse form consisting of six stanzas of six lines each, normally followed by a three-line envoi.(Envoi or envoy in poetry is used to describe: a short stanza at the end of a poem such as ballad, used either to address an imagined or actual person or to comment on the preceding body of the poem. a dedicatory poem about sending the book out to readers, a postscript.) So you do 6 stanzas each 6 lines…then a short 3 line stanza at the end.
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 video above shows the basics. (Found on one of the you tubers I follow about writing.)
The picture below gives a quick look at the ending rotations.
I am hoping that this is going to help you to write poetry yourself.
I am taking a break from coffee house writers. This is my last post there for a while. Though there are some awesome writing on there, and I have quite a few friends on there… I felt like this last poem should stand alone. Please continue to read the work there. The writers are doing some amazing work.
Pattimouse 