Sestet
/ˈsɛs.tɛt/noun
A group of six lines in a poem, especially the final six lines of an Italian sonnet.
Did you know?The word comes through Italian and ultimately from Latin roots for “six,” so even poetry’s structure is built on the same ancient counting magic that gave us hexagons and sextets.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Rome
Latin
sex
“six”
Late Latin / Italian
Italian
sestetto
“a group of six; a six-part unit”
16th-17th Century
Italian
sestetto
“a six-line stanza or six-part musical piece”
17th-18th Century
English
sestet
“a stanza of six lines, especially in a sonnet”
Modern English
English
sestet
“a six-line stanza or a group of six performers or notes”