A sestet is a six-line poem that concludes a longer sonnet, providing a resolution to the subject. It was introduced by Petrarch in the 1300s and named after him. The rhyme patterns of sestets vary, but they often follow a different structure than the octave. The structure of a traditional Petrarchan sonnet consists of an eight-line octave and a six-line sestet.
A sextet is a form of poetry written with six lines as the last stanza of a longer poem which is normally a sonnet. Many poets who write Petrarchan sonnets close them with a sextet, and this section of a complete poem typically offers a conclusion or resolution to the poem’s subject. In this case, the sextet constitutes the second stanza of a sonnet. This type of poem takes its name from a combination of the Latin word sextus and the Italian word sextet. Sestet’s poems may follow one of a few different rhyme schemes based on the subject matter and artistic choices of different poets.
The first poet to write sestet verse was Francisco Petrarca, who introduced this verse structure in the 1300s. He is also credited with formulating the root structure of the contemporary Italian language and creating the first descriptions of the Dark Ages. Petrarch’s sonnet is named after this scholar and his influence can be seen in the work of other poets such as Dante Alighieri.
A traditional Petrarchan sonnet is divided into eight opening lines known as the octave and the six lines that make up the concluding sextet. The octave argument is typically a problem and the sextet argument is a solution. Depending on the poet’s individual style, the octave is often written in dramatic and hyperbolic language while the concluding six lines are simpler in wording.
Rhyme patterns of sesettes often follow a different structure than their previous octaves. Poets usually follow a stricter pattern when writing octaves, with the last word of the first line rhyming with the last word of the fourth line. The last words of the second and third lines also rhyme. Scholars who study this sonnet structure sometimes report that if an octave deviates from this structure, the poem is not a true Petrarchan sonnet.
A sextet may follow a structure that rhymes the last word of the first line with the last word of the fourth line, echoing part of the rhyme pattern of the octave. The last word of the second line can rhyme with the last word of the fifth line, although this structure is considered optional. Some poets choose a simpler scheme that alternates the rhymes of the final word of every other line. The first and third lines would rhyme, and the same would apply to the second, fourth and sixth lines.
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