Sestina Flashcards
What is sestina?
A particular form of poetry in which the last word of every line in the first stanza is repeated in a different order in the other stanzas
Childhood memory. Homely picture of a child and grandmother
the old grandmother
sits in the kitchen with the child
Seems like a positive image at first but there is an undercurrent of sadness and possibly grief (at the loss of Bishop’s father or mother perhaps?)
reading the jokes from the almanac,
laughing and talking to hide her tears.
The almanac seems to hold all of the power in this poem. It appears to be a fountain of knowledge, but unable to feel and fully register the extent of its knowledge. In this sense, it is the grandmother who holds more power
foretold by the almanac,
but only know to a grandmother.
Focus swaps to things in the kitchen as this will stop he emotions becoming to strong. Personification.
The iron kettle sings on the stove
Personification of the almanac. It seems to know more than it should and does not understand it the effects it has.
clever almanac
The almanac seems to be quite menacing and tormenting the child and grandmother with its wisdom. Teasing them with what it knows.
the almanac
hovers half open above the child,
hovers above the old grandmother
Evident the grandmother is caring for the child
It’s time for tea now
Bishop was evidently a very observant child mature beyond her years. She can see emotion but doesn’t quite understand it just yet. Simile & personification & simplistic language a child might use
the child
is watching the teakettle’s small hard tears
dance like mad on the hot black stove
Grief is evident in the scene but with what is uncertain. The grandmother tries to do anything to distract herself from it. Sibilance
her teacup full of dark brown tears.
She shivers and says she thinks the house
feels chilly, and puts more wood in the stove.
Personification of the stove and almanac. The almanac’s predictions appear to have come true, feeding its arrogance
It was to be, said the Marvel Stove,
I know what I know, says the almanac.
Childish imagery of a child drawing a house, perhaps a reference to her lack of home
the child draws a rigid house
and a winding path
Young Bishop puts a man her in her picture that could possibly be her father. The image is tinged with sadness however. But Bishop appears to be proud of her sketch. Simile
the child
puts a man with buttons like tears
and shows it to the grandmother
Simile. The idea of time passing by in similar fashion to the previous stanzas but the grief is being buried by the child. The image is developing just like the child.
the little moons fall down like tears
from between the pages of the almanac
into the flower bed the child
has carefully placed in front of the house.
Final words of wisdom from the almanac. The grandmother and child must move on with their grief and come back to it at a time when they can face it head on, so they continue with life as it is.
Time to plant tears, says the almanac.
The grandmother sings to the marvellous stove
and the child draws another inscrutable house.
