A six-line stanza in poetry is known as a sestet or sextain. This form appears in various poetic structures, providing a compact unit for rhythmic expression.
Sestet in Sonnets
Sestets form the final six lines of a Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet, following an octave of eight lines. They often introduce a volta, or turn, resolving the poem's theme introduced earlier. This structure totals 14 lines with a typical rhyme scheme like CDECDE.
Standalone or Other Uses
Beyond sonnets, a sestet functions as an independent six-line stanza in longer poems. Poets use it for varied rhyme schemes, such as ABCABC, to build narrative or emotional layers. Examples appear in works by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Distinction from Sestina
Note that a sestina features six six-line stanzas plus a three-line envoi, repeating end-words in a rotating pattern. A simple six-line stanza lacks this complexity.
