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angling, balsam, dilemma, eagle, fir trees, fishing, fly fishing, Mountain scene, sestina, stream
INTRODUCING THE SESTINA
The sestina follows a strict pattern of the repetition of the initial six end-words of the first stanza through the remaining five six-line stanzas, culminating in a three-line envoi. The lines may be of any length, though in its initial incarnation, the sestina followed a syllabic restriction. The form is as follows, where each numeral indicates the stanza position and the letters represent end-words:
I
Blah blah blah blah “A”
Blah blah blah blah “B”
Blah blah blah blah “C”
Blah blah blah blah “D”
Blah blah blah blah “E”
Blah blah blah blah “F”
II through VI
2. FAEBDC
3. CFDABE
4. ECBFAD
5. DEACFB
6. BDFECA
7. (envoi; One or more detached verses at the end of a literary composition, serving to convey the moral) ECA or ACE
I have injected a second level of difficulty by keeping not only the end-word but the total end phrase (or possibly I lessened the level of difficulty; you be the judge).
I
He was out and about – that day fishing,
For a large rainbow – he was wishing,
A Royal Coachman fly – was he dishing,
However these fish – they were unforgiving,
They simply wanted to – keep on living,
As he kept on – different flies switching.
II
Black and deer insects – different flies switching.
Made for a miserable – that day fishing,
He didn’t want them to – keep on living,
For some insect spray – he was wishing,
However the bugs – they were unforgiving,
Swats to his own face – was he dishing,
III
An imaginary supper – was he dishing,
Landing on his meal – different flies switching.
A world full of insects – they were unforgiving,
And he wondered while – that day fishing,
Just one large fish – he was wishing,
So as to sustain him to – keep on living,
IV
As we all know insects and bugs – keep on living,
God appeared unmerciful – was he dishing?
To give us some patience – he was wishing?
Trying a variety of tests- different flies switching?
Did he know we wanted to go – that day fishing?
And all the saints joined him – they were unforgiving.
V
Then his fishing buddies showed up – they were unforgiving.
He told them to keep quiet if they wished to – keep on living,
Did they have to decide to go – that day fishing?
He wondered if enough returned insults – was he dishing?
They kept up the sarcasm “Are you – different flies switching?
“Go fish somewhere else old pals” – he was wishing.
VI
“Just catch a fish and then go home” – he was wishing.
The flies kept biting, but not the fish – they were unforgiving.
Continually he repeated his error – different flies switching,
And those stinging flies and fish – keep on living,
And never again the Royal Coachman – was he dishing,
It surely was not a good day – that day fishing.
VII
He loved to fish so he decided to – keep on living,
But for supper that night hamburgers – was he dishing,
And his nightmare as he slept was – that day fishing.
THE KEY:
(A=fishing, B=wishing, C=dishing, D=unforgiving, E=living, F=switching)
© Copy written for what I will never know.
waldotomosky 