sestina

noun ses·ti·na \ se-ˈstē-nə \

|Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of sestina

: a lyrical fixed form consisting of six 6-line usually unrhymed stanzas in which the end words of the first stanza recur as end words of the following five stanzas in a successively rotating order and as the middle and end words of the three verses of the concluding tercet

Recent Examples of sestina from the Web

Many poems simply yoke together disparate elements, and some have no relation to collage at all (despite Polizzotti’s fanciful suggestion that a sestina’s repetitive pattern of line endings sort of counts).

— michael robbins, chicagotribune.com, "'John Ashbery: They Knew What They Wanted' celebrates a poet and collagist who understood the value of fun," 9 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sestina.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.