Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for sestina

sestina

[se-stee-nuh]

noun

Prosody.

plural

sestinas, sestine 
  1. a poem of six six-line stanzas and a three-line envoy, originally without rhyme, in which each stanza repeats the end words of the lines of the first stanza, but in different order, the envoy using the six words again, three in the middle of the lines and three at the end.



sestina

/ sɛˈstiːnə /

noun

  1. Also called: sextainan elaborate verse form of Italian origin, normally unrhymed, consisting of six stanzas of six lines each and a concluding tercet. The six final words of the lines in the first stanza are repeated in a different order in each of the remaining five stanzas and also in the concluding tercet

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of sestina1

1580–90; < Italian, equivalent to sest ( o ) (< Latin sextus sixth ) + -ina -ine 2
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of sestina1

C19: from Italian, from sesto sixth, from Latin sextus
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Although an occasional narrative experiment might disrupt the format, what makes “Law & Order” special is precisely the fact that it has one, like a sonnet, a sestina, or an ottava rima.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The story’s structure resembles that of a sestina, the same elements — Jordan, Seinfeld, aluminum foil, Chore Boy and baking soda — recombining in different configurations throughout to dizzying effect.

Read more on New York Times

There aren’t strict rules for what is poetry unless you’re trying to adhere to a specific form like the sestina, haiku or limerick.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Her own verse often drew on classical forms such as the villanelle, sestina, tritina and sonnet, and sometimes incorporated references to ancient mythology and medieval legend.

Read more on Washington Post

When asked to unpack the sestina, my go-to example has been Sherman Alexie’s “The Business of Fancy Dancing,” a vibrant argument for why we employ a poetic form dating back to the 12th-century troubadours.

Read more on Washington Post

Advertisement

Related Words

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


sestetSestos