Sestet
A six-line unit or stanza, most commonly known as the concluding section of a Petrarchan sonnet (after the eight-line octave). The sestet typically introduces resolution, complication, or a shift in perspective after the octave's argument.
Real World
In Petrarch's Sonnet 134, the octave describes the torment of unrequited love, then the sestet shifts to a paradoxical acceptance — 'I find peace and have no peace' — complicating rather than resolving the problem.
Exam Focus
Always discuss the sestet in relation to the octave — examiners reward analysis of how the two sections interact structurally.
How well did you know this?