sestet: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Literary, Technical (Poetry/Music)
Quick answer
What does “sestet” mean?
A group of six lines of verse, especially the last six lines of a Petrarchan sonnet.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A group of six lines of verse, especially the last six lines of a Petrarchan sonnet.
Any group or set of six, particularly in music (a sextet) or as a metrical unit.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Both use it as a technical poetic term.
Connotations
Highly specialised literary term with no regional connotative variation.
Frequency
Equally rare in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “sestet” in a Sentence
The [ADJECTIVE] sestet [VERB]...In the sestet, the poet [VERB]...Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in literary criticism and poetry analysis.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
A precise term in prosody (the study of verse).
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sestet”
- Misspelling as 'sextet' (though related, 'sextet' is primarily musical).
- Using it to refer to any six of something outside of poetry.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are related (both mean a group of six) but used in different fields. 'Sestet' is almost exclusively for poetry. 'Sextet' is used for music (six performers) or any group of six.
Yes, a six-line stanza in any poem can be called a sestet, but the term is most precisely and commonly used for the final six lines of a 14-line Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet.
An eight-line stanza called an 'octave'. The standard Petrarchan sonnet structure is an octave (ABBAABBA) followed by a sestet (with varying rhyme schemes like CDECDE or CDCDCD).
Only if you are studying poetry, especially sonnets, at an advanced level (B2+). It is not a word for general English communication.
A group of six lines of verse, especially the last six lines of a Petrarchan sonnet.
Sestet is usually formal, literary, technical (poetry/music) in register.
Sestet: in British English it is pronounced /sɛsˈtɛt/, and in American English it is pronounced /sɛsˈtɛt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: SES (like 'six' in some Romance languages) + TET (like 'tetris' blocks; a set piece). A sestet is a set six-line piece of a sonnet.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTAINER (The sestet contains the resolution or counter-argument); STRUCTURAL UNIT (A building block of a poetic form).
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'sestet' primarily?