Sestina, Elizabeth Bishop: Summary, Analysis & Themes

Elizabeth Bishop’s poem ‘Sestina’ , published in 1956, captures a poignant scene between a grandmother and a child sharing a kitchen, shadowed by an unspoken sadness. Though many believe it draws from Bishop’s own life, the poem’s universal themes allow readers to explore broader emotions around grief and loss . Summary The poem unfolds in a domestic setting: a grandmother and a child sit in a kitchen during a rainy September, the grandmother’s “equinoctial tears” hinting at the autumn equinox. As they read from an almanac and share jokes, the child draws with crayons, creating images of a house with a “winding pathway,” a garden , and a figure of a man. The grandmother hides her sorrow, performing simple tasks like drinking tea and cutting bread. The child sketches various pictures — a house , a garden , and a man with buttons like tears, possibly hinting at unspoken grief . In the end, the almanac offers a cryptic message: “Time to plant tears” , leaving a lasting impression of latent …