What is the significance of the end words in a sestina?

• A. They create a structured pattern that defines the poem.
• B. They determine the poem's meter.
• C. They indicate the poet's nationality.
• D. They are optional in the form.

Answer: (A)

End words in a sestina organize its form. In a traditional sestina, six end words are fixed and recur across the poem in a precise, rotating pattern from one stanza to the next. Each stanza ends with one of these six words, and the sequence shifts in a defined way so that, by the end, all six words have moved through various positions. This deliberate repetition creates a tight structural lattice that shapes how images and ideas are connected and developed, giving the poem a musical unity even as its content changes. Meter and other features are separate considerations, and the end words aren’t about nationality or optional; they are what define the poem’s formal pattern.