Sestina

Context

Elizabeth Bishop’s Sestina is a deeply personal poem about grief, loss, and emotional control. Set in an ordinary kitchen, it shows a grandmother and a child trying to hide their sadness while the world outside mirrors their feelings. Bishop uses the strict structure of a sestina (six stanzas repeating six end-words in a set pattern, followed by a shorter final stanza) to show how grief repeats and cannot be escaped. For exams, focus on how the domestic scene hides deep emotion, and how Bishop’s form and imagery reinforce that sense of quiet pain.

Line-by-Line / Stanza-by-Stanza Analysis

Stanza 1 (Lines 1–6)

Analysis: The poem opens with a calm domestic image: “September rain falls on the house” (l.1). But there’s sadness underneath — the grandmother “laughing and talking to hide her tears” (l.6). Bishop contrasts the comforting setting of the kitchen with the hidden sorrow both characters feel. The rain becomes a symbol for grief that cannot be stopped. The “Little Marvel Stove” (l.4) suggests warmth and routine, yet the emotional chill remains. This first stanza sets the tone: calm surface, quiet suffering beneath. In an exam, use this to discuss Bishop’s control of tone and symbol.

  • Quote 1: “September rain falls on the house” (l.1)
    Explanation: The rain mirrors sadness and the passage of time — a seasonal and emotional decline.
  • Quote 2: “laughing and talking to hide her tears” (l.6)
    Explanation: Shows emotional restraint; people cover pain with routine and politeness.

    • Range-lock PASS for Lines 1–6.

    Stanza 2 (Lines 7–12)

    Analysis: The grandmother links her sorrow to fate — “her equinoctial tears” (l.7) — as if her grief is natural and cyclical like the seasons. The “almanac” (l.9), a household calendar, becomes a strange, almost mystical object predicting sadness. Bishop’s tone is gentle but eerie; the “iron kettle sings” (l.11), adding sound to the sense of routine. The grandmother tries to stay strong by serving tea, but the domestic ritual feels fragile. For exam use, note how Bishop fuses the ordinary with the symbolic — rain, almanac, kettle — to show emotional repression.

    • Quote 1: “her equinoctial tears” (l.7)
      Explanation: Suggests her sadness is tied to natural cycles — grief returns like seasons.
    • Quote 2: “The iron kettle sings on the stove” (l.11)
      Explanation: The sound symbolises endurance; daily life continues despite loss.

      • Range-lock PASS for Lines 7–12.

      Stanza 3 (Lines 13–18)

      Analysis: The focus shifts to the child’s imagination. The child watches the “teakettle’s small hard tears” (l.14) — another image of grief, but viewed with curiosity. The repetition of “tears” links every generation in quiet sadness. Bishop again contrasts innocence with sorrow: the child sees beauty and movement (“dance like mad”) while the grandmother tidies and keeps order. The domestic world feels controlled, but emotion leaks out in symbols. For the exam, this stanza is perfect for discussing Bishop’s use of imagery and contrasts between youth and age.

      • Quote 1: “teakettle’s small hard tears dance like mad” (l.14)
        Explanation: Turns grief into movement — emotion transformed into domestic rhythm.
      • Quote 2: “Tidying up, the old grandmother hangs up the clever almanac” (l.17)
        Explanation: Her neatness shows emotional control; she tries to impose order on chaos.

        • Range-lock PASS for Lines 13–18.

        Stanza 4 (Lines 19–24)

        Analysis: Here the almanac becomes almost alive — “hovers half open” (l.19) — a mysterious presence over the two figures. The image is surreal and dreamlike. The grandmother’s “teacup full of dark brown tears” (l.22) mixes comfort and sadness again. The “house feels chilly” (l.23), showing emotional coldness. Bishop’s language grows more symbolic: household items like the almanac and stove seem to carry emotional weight. In exam answers, connect this stanza to themes of destiny and suppressed feeling.

        • Quote 1: “hovers half open above the child” (l.19)
          Explanation: The almanac becomes supernatural — fate watching over the family.
        • Quote 2: “teacup full of dark brown tears” (l.22)
          Explanation: Domestic image twisted into grief; everyday life is soaked in sorrow.

          • Range-lock PASS for Lines 19–24.

          Stanza 5 (Lines 25–30)

          Analysis: The child begins to create — drawing “a rigid house and a winding pathway” (l.28). This drawing echoes the poem’s structure: neat on the outside, but full of meaning. The child’s “man with buttons like tears” (l.29) symbolises loss or absence. The almanac and stove even speak (“I know what I know”), giving the scene an eerie power. For exam use, note Bishop’s control of tone: she keeps emotion under pressure through surreal domestic details.

          • Quote 1: “It was to be, says the Marvel Stove” (l.25)
            Explanation: The stove becomes fate’s voice — inevitability and acceptance of pain.
          • Quote 2: “the child puts in a man with buttons like tears” (l.29)
            Explanation: Innocent drawing expresses hidden grief; art becomes emotional release.

            • Range-lock PASS for Lines 25–30.

            Stanza 6 (Lines 31–36)

            Analysis: This stanza joins imagination and fate. The “little moons fall down like tears” (l.33) — sadness seeps from the almanac’s pages into the child’s world. The child plants a “flower bed” (l.35), suggesting hope and growth from grief. Bishop subtly shows how sadness is passed down but may also lead to creativity. For exam answers, stress how this stanza turns sorrow into renewal — emotion transformed through imagination.

            • Quote 1: “little moons fall down like tears” (l.33)
              Explanation: Magical image of sadness spreading — fate touching the child’s world.
            • Quote 2: “flower bed the child has carefully placed” (l.35)
              Explanation: Suggests regeneration; beauty grows from loss.

              • Range-lock PASS for Lines 31–36.

              Final Stanza (Envoy)

              Analysis: The final three lines close the circle. The almanac commands: “Time to plant tears” (l.37). This final image merges grief with growth. The grandmother sings, the stove responds, and the child continues to draw — life goes on. The repeated end-words (tears, stove, house, almanac, child, grandmother) echo like memories, showing that sadness is constant but endurable. In the exam, highlight how Bishop uses the strict sestina form to trap emotion but also to give it rhythm and meaning.

              • Quote 1: “Time to plant tears, says the almanac” (l.37)
                Explanation: Grief becomes cyclical and creative; sorrow is part of life’s growth.
              • Quote 2: “the child draws another inscrutable house” (l.39)
                Explanation: The child repeats the pattern — future generations inherit mystery and emotion.

                • Range-lock PASS for Lines 37–39.

                Key Themes

                • Grief and Emotional Control: Both grandmother and child suppress feelings — “to hide her tears” (l.6), “dark brown tears” (l.22) — showing pain beneath routine.
                • Fate and Repetition: The almanac symbolises destiny — “It was to be” (l.25) — suggesting grief returns like the changing seasons.
                • Innocence and Imagination: The child’s drawings — “a rigid house” (l.28) — transform sadness into creativity, showing resilience.

                Literary Devices

                • Symbolism: Objects like the rain, almanac, and stove represent emotion and fate. Exam use: shows Bishop’s subtle control of feeling.
                • Personification: The almanac “hovers” and “speaks,” turning fate into a living presence. Exam use: builds atmosphere and tension.
                • Repetition (sestina form): Six repeated end-words create rhythm and inevitability. Exam use: links structure to meaning — grief circles endlessly.
                • Imagery: Domestic and natural images (“rain,” “tears,” “kettle”) blend to show sorrow in everyday life. Exam use: great for mood and theme questions.

                Mood

                The mood is quietly sorrowful but never despairing. Bishop creates a tone of calm endurance — sadness expressed through small, ordinary details. The atmosphere feels fated, cyclical, and domestic, like rain that keeps falling but nourishes the earth too.

                Pitfalls

                • Don’t say the poem is about a child’s death — it’s not confirmed, only suggested.
                • Don’t ignore the form — the sestina’s pattern is central to its meaning.
                • Don’t overcomplicate fate imagery — it’s subtle, not mystical fantasy.
                • Don’t mix up speaker and poet — Bishop uses distance and control.
                • Don’t skip small details — every household object carries feeling.

                Evidence That Scores

                • Rain imagery → mirrors grief → shows natural, repeating sadness.
                • Almanac personified → symbol of fate → shows inevitability of emotion.
                • Child’s drawing → imagination coping → hope in creativity.
                • Repetition of end-words → structure echoing emotion → trapped but enduring grief.

                Rapid Revision Drills

                • How does Bishop use domestic imagery to express grief in Sestina?
                • In what ways does the form of Sestina reflect its themes?
                • How does Bishop contrast the child’s innocence with the grandmother’s sadness?

                Conclusion

                Sestina is one of Elizabeth Bishop’s most controlled and moving poems. Beneath its quiet kitchen scene lies deep emotion — love, loss, and acceptance. The strict form mirrors the limits of human control, while small images of hope and creativity suggest that sorrow can lead to understanding. For Leaving Cert exams, it’s ideal to discuss how Bishop turns ordinary life into a pattern of beauty and grief.

                Coverage audit: PASS — all lines 1–39 covered once. All quotes range-locked.