Sestina

The sestina is a poem of 39 lines

It has six stanzas of six lines each

This is followed by an envoi of three lines

All of these are unrhymed

The same six end-words must occur in every stanza but in  a changing order that follows a set pattern, called "lexical repetition."

Each stanza must follow on the last by taking a reversed pairing of the lines before it.

The first line of the second stanza pairs its end words with the last of the first. The second line of the second stanza must do this with the first line of the first and so on.

The envoi gathers and uses the six end words.

The sestina at right uses the words: days, unfold, mind, asleep, dreams and age.

Growing Young Sestina

Among green fields and golden days
We dare adventure to unfold
With youthful heart and open mind
Ambition lay in bed asleep
When nature beckons ripe with dreams
Defeat unknown at this young age

Playtime disappears with age
Time swallowed up by busy days
Friendships blossom and unfold
More frequent now a troubled mind
Instead of falling fast asleep
Nightmares chase away sweet dreams

Stern rules and laws can limit dreams
It's true some lessons come with age
A fool awake appears asleep
Bored by duty, routine days
While others never seem to mind
As Father Time's cruel plan unfolds

In middle years new fears unfold
And making clear unrealized dreams
It often weighs upon the mind
Like teen-agers we come of age
Reject our choices, curse our days
We grasp at urges long asleep

Regret wakes up joy stays asleep
Still unfulfilled deceits unfold
The faithful who've filled up our days
Now sadly say we've lost our minds
They ask: Why can't you act your age
And cast away these foolish dreams?

Some say that life is only dreams
That waking we remain asleep
And finally growing old of age
Can passions rest and peace unfold?
Will we treasure those last days
And spend them being sound of mind?

Don't stay asleep, make up your mind
A dream won't die, a spirit age
The years unfold like days these days

—darcelle infante