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 sorrow and loss.
Analysis
Bishop’s minimalism in describing actions leaves room for interpretation. The identities of the
grandmother and
child are open-ended, prompting readers to make assumptions. Is the
child a
granddaughter or
grandson? Why are they with the
grandmother? Possible interpretations include the absence of
parents, with the
grandmother assuming a parental role, or simply a temporary visit.
- The repetitive sketches of houses with winding paths suggest something mysterious or perhaps “inscrutable,” possibly symbolizing the child’s perception of home without parents.
- The man with tear-shaped buttons evokes questions: Is he the father? The child could be expressing sorrow through art, indicating a grief too profound to verbalize.
This unspoken grief may parallel Bishop’s own life, as the
child seeks to channel pain into drawings, much like the poet does through her work. The repetitive
‘rigid house’ the child draws mirrors the poem’s structure: a
sestina.
Themes
The themes of
loss and
grief resonate deeply within
‘Sestina’. The poem explores how
loss impacts both young and old, with grief subtly shaping the
child’s worldview.
- The cyclical nature of time is evident through the repeated words and the almanac’s predictions. Time appears endless and unchanging, reflecting the persistent weight of grief.
- Change and constancy coexist in the poem: although people may pass, certain things, like the recurring months or the almanac’s unchanging predictions, remain.
The
grandmother clings to the
almanac, perhaps seeking comfort in its predictability. Meanwhile, the
child focuses on drawing, expressing themselves in ways the
grandmother may not fully understand. This generational difference subtly emphasizes the divide between
innocence and
experience.
Form
Sestina uses a precise form that enhances its mood. Comprised of six
six-line stanzas and a final three-line
envoi, the poem features only six end-words:
house, grandmother, child, stove, almanac, and
tears. The unique order of these words in each stanza amplifies a sense of claustrophobia, echoing the poem’s focus on recurring grief within a contained environment.
- The restrictive sestina form mirrors the oppressive atmosphere of the kitchen setting, confining both characters and emotions.
- This repetition mirrors the cyclical nature of life, echoing the almanac’s annual cycles and the persistent presence of tears.
Final Thoughts
Elizabeth Bishop’s
‘Sestina’ captures complex emotions surrounding
grief,
memory, and
loss. The poem’s ambiguity is intentional, allowing readers to interpret its meaning in various ways, whether reflecting on familial loss, the passage of time, or the difficulty of processing emotions.
