Sestina  


	A French fixed form of poem used by medieval Provencal, Italian, and occasionally by modern poets, 
	this elaborately structured form was invented by  troubadour, Arnaut Daniel. Named from the Italian word
	sesta, meaning six, the poem consists of six stanzas of six lines each (sestets). The final words of the 
	first stanza lines appear in varying but set orders in the other five stanzas. The poem is concluded with a 
	tercet (three lines) called an envoi in which the six end words are used in a specific location and order in 
	each line.  

	Lines can be of any length, though, once a length is chosen, all lines remain constant to that length.  
	
	Traditionally, the lines are unrhymed. 

	Below, each letter represents the end word of a verse and its position in each of the six stanzas.

		Stanza 1	abcdef
		Stanza 2	faebdc
		Stanza 3	cfdabe
		Stanza 4	ecbfad
		Stanza 5	deacfb
		Stanza 6	bdfeca
		Envoi 
		Line 1		f  (middle of line)  b  (end word)
		Line 2		a (middle of line)  d  (end word)
		Line 3		e (middle of line)  c  (end word)





	CHRISTMAS SESTINED

	Tell me pray the true meaning of Christmas
	Is it waking early in the morning
	To gaze upon a star glittered tree,
	Watch toddlers mesmerised by bright baubles
	Gently shaking fancy ribbon bound gifts 
	And sharing long of the Christmas spirit?

	Early you start, raising high your spirit
	Planning the day that will be your Christmas
	The careful selection of special gifts
	To present upon the early morning
	And carefully hang bright shiny baubles
	And ladder lift the angel to the tree.

	The family gathers joyful round the tree
	Sing hymnic songs of the holy spirit
	Stop and admire the bright shiny baubles
	Lightly kiss and wish all Merry Christmas
	Tell tales of being woken in the morning
	By children eager to ply them with gifts.

	But you know Christmas is not just the gifts
	Just as it is not the star glittered tree
	It is the gathering in the morning
	To remember the lost holy spirit
	And to celebrate his birth each Christmas
	With songs and prayer and bright shiny baubles

	I wish my Christmas had bright shiny baubles
	The pleasance of family would be the gifts
	As we join at the table at Christmas
	We'd laugh and sing around the glittering tree
	While Grandma sips her warm Christmas spirit
	Like this, I would look forward to morning.

	But sleeping late I avoid the morning
	spurn the singing beside tarnished baubles
	Cork up the bottle of heavy spirit
	That blots out the day and smashes the gifts
	By evening the angel falls from the tree
	So swallowing pills I long shun Christmas.

	But you saved my spirit that dark morning
	Now share your Christmas, hang your bright baubles
	Ply me with gifts, and I stand beneath your tree



	© Helen Iles 2005



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