[stylist] A new conversation about the sestina

Tue May 29 20:34:06 UTC 2012

Jackie,
I'm a perfectionist too. I always follow the form or structure of the 
assignments in order to attain great grades; but cannot say I made straight 
A's, but sometimes I came close. In writing for personal growth though, I 
try and be more free flowing. I want my personal essays to make sense, but 
I'm not picky with myself so much on the structure of it all.

Most grad students want to follow the exact rules of writing for their 
classes. so don't feel bad about that.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jacqueline Williams
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 3:45 PM
To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [stylist] A new conversation about the sestina

Lynda,
I appreciate your considered answer about the form and meter of a sestina.
Perhaps what you are saying is that you treat the six words as intended,
relax and let it flow I have always been a bit of a perfectionist and left
graduate school with a straight A average. I am actually ashamed of that
now, as I think of the time I could have held a boy in my lap and listened
to the minutia of his life and hugged him, rather than writing papers.
I am trying to break old habits, and jump the traces.
This group helps with this since there is such a variety of writers.
Memory is not as good as it once was, so that actually helps a bit also.
One can put a positive spin on almost anything.
Jackie.

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Lynda Lambert
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2012 1:03 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] A new conversation about the sestina

HI Jackie,
You can find a lot of information on the Sestina through Wickipedia, (sp)
and many essays on it by doing an internet search. You will find there are
updated versions of the Sestina, particularly American ones.
Basically, trochee is very much similar to the iambic meter other than the
fact that it is the reverse. This does cause a slight change in the rhythm
of the poem, but not enough to affect its pace. For me, the poem is FIRST a
VISUAL OBJECT - an art work. How it is situated on the page is of importance

to me, as well as the visual form it takes on the page.  Many of my poems
are visual works and those are ones I cannot share on the list because they
have to be viewed simultaneously with the reading of them. (as in Kathleen
Fraser's work).

For the Sestina, the most important part that does not change is the line
endings and sequence of the six words vertically down the right side of the
poem. Again, for me, it is VISUAL. Those endings hold a vertical and visual
place marker - like stepping stones that take the reader down my path.

I am definitely not a formalist, in the traditional sense of the word. I am
much more of a post modernist in approach and execution of a poem, using
formal aspects and deconstructionist techniques together.

Can you see this in my work?
It is an interesting thing to discuss, I agree.
What is not there, or missing, can be as important as what is there. Use of
pace, too,  is an important issue with me.

Lynda

Lynda Lambert
104 River Road
Ellwood City, PA 16117

724 758 4979

My Blog:  http://www.walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com
My Website:  http://lyndalambert.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jacqueline Williams" <jackieleepoet at cox.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2012 3:03 PM
Subject: [stylist] A new conversation about the sestina

> Lynda,
> This sestina about William Carlos Williams has lines, I believe from 8 or
> 9
> syllables all the way to 16. Does this fit the guideline that it must be
> consistent? Nit-picking, perhaps, but I seem to need the guidelines firmly
> followed before I can commit to branch into my own off-shoot format.
> Perhaps
> we are talking about new formalists. Are you one?
> Whatever it is, it is a wonderful poem. My teacher tells us to write what
> you want, but never label it as a particular form unless you are following
> the traditional form.
> Would love a discussion about this.
> Jackie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Lynda Lambert
> Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 10:44 AM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: [stylist] revising, form, and copyright
>
> Have spent most of the day working on two poems that were published in
> 2000.
>
> A poem is never really fininshed, really.
> Since we were talking about Sestina's I went back to two of them today,
> after a 12 year absence from them.
>
> One is a true sestina, the other is a sestina-influenced poem.  I will
> attach the sestina here.
>
> William Carlos Williams has been my hero since undergraduate school and I
> did major work on him in grad school. He is the inspiration behind this
> sestina, and I think it is very humorous that I would write a Sestina as
> the
> venicle of the poem as he would not at all have embraced that thought. Not
> for a moment!
>
> another tip:  when you revise the poem that was published previously, be
> sure to note that in your copyright line. In this case, 2000 and 2012 for
> this poem.
>
>
> Lynda
> Lynda Lambert
> 104 River Road
> Ellwood City, PA 16117
>
> 724 758 4979
>
> My Blog:  http://www.walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com
> My Website:  http://lyndalambert.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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