A sestina has thirty-nine lines and follows a strict pattern of six repeating end-words.

The first stanza has 6 lines and each end-word in this stanza must be repeated in the remaining five stanzas in the following order:

Stanza 1: ABCDEF

Stanza 2: FAEBDC

Stanza 3: CFDABE

Stanza 4: ECBFAD

Stanza 5:  DEACFB

Stanza 6: BDFECA

Stanza 7: ECA OR ACE

The last stanza, also called the envoi, has to include the remaining 3 end words in the middle of line. That means if it since it ends in ECA or ACE, the middle words will be BDF

Sestina I [1]

To every animal that dwells on earth,
Except to those which have in hate the sun,
Their time of labour is while lasts the day;
But when high heaven relumes its thousand stars,
This seeks his hut, and that its native wood,
Each finds repose, at least until the dawn.

But I, when fresh and fair begins the dawn
To chase the lingering shades that cloak’d the earth,
Wakening the animals in every wood,
No truce to sorrow find while rolls the sun;
And, when again I see the glistening stars,
Still wander, weeping, wishing for the day.

When sober evening chases the bright day,
And this our darkness makes for others dawn,
Pensive I look upon the cruel stars
Which framed me of such pliant passionate earth,
And curse the day that e’er I saw the sun,
Which makes me native seem of wildest wood.

And yet methinks was ne’er in any wood,
So wild a denizen, by night or day,
As she whom thus I blame in shade and sun:
Me night’s first sleep o’ercomes not, nor the dawn,
For though in mortal coil I tread the earth,
My firm and fond desire is from the stars.

Ere up to you I turn, O lustrous stars,
Or downwards in love’s labyrinthine wood,
Leaving my fleshly frame in mouldering earth,
Could I but pity find in her, one day
Would many years redeem, and to the dawn
With bliss enrich me from the setting sun!

Oh! might I be with her where sinks the sun,
No other eyes upon us but the stars,
Alone, one sweet night, ended by no dawn,
Nor she again transfigured in green wood,
To cheat my clasping arms, as on the day,
When Phoebus vainly follow’d her on earth.

I shall lie low in earth, in crumbling wood.
And clustering stars shall gem the noon of day,
Ere on so sweet a dawn shall rise that sun.

Try it yourself

Pick six words:

(you may find you need to change them as you write the first stanza)

a	b	c
d	e	f

Remember you have to repeat each word according to the pattern:

A

B

C

D

E

F

F

A

E

B

D

C

C

F

D

A

B

E

E

C

B

F

A

D

D

E

A

C

F

B

B

D

F

E

C

A

E | A

C | C

A | E

---

[1] Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch); Translated by Robert Guthrie Macgregor. This poem is in the public doman