Thanks, folks, for posting all these.
Kate, am particularly glad to see the Plath. I was only recently thinking about/discussing sestinas at the Greek island workshop, and Clive, who, to our delight, came this year as a featured reader and stayed on for a few days adding much to the class, pointed out that the difficulty of the sestina is having those end-words repeat back to back at the end and beginning of stanzas. It is very interesting to see how Plath has solved this, and I like your idea of the sestina working something like the eye, looking back over the painting. That might be worth writing up!
Here's a silly one, by Wendy Cope. I think this may have been the first poem of hers I came across:
The Uncertainty of the Poet
'The Tate Gallery announced that it had paid 1 million pounds for a Giorgio de Cirico masterpiece, The Uncertainty of the Poet. It depicts a torso and a bunch of bananas.' (Guardian, 2 April 1985)
I am a poet.
I am very fond of bananas.
I am bananas.
I am very fond of a poet.
I am a poet of bananas.
I am very fond,
A fond poet of 'I am, I am'--
Very bananas,
Fond of 'Am I bananas,
Am I?'--a very poet.
Bananas of a poet!
Am I fond? Am I very?
Poet bananas! I am.
I am fond of a 'very'.
I am of very fond bananas.
Am I a poet?
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