The 300 (Sestina form)

by Larry Chamberlin   Mar 8, 2012


300

Three hundred Spartans held a pass
that others might live free;
their heroic actions stand the light
of scrutiny centuries since they came,
bring tears to a brave man's eye;
tells Leonidas to lie down in peace.

Though he did not fight for peace
he fired the war later come to pass,
emboldened warriors under his eye,
shared the importance of being free;
repelled invaders who to Greece came
to put under bushel basket liberty's light.

Thermopylae's fire the way did light
to unify all Greece for lasting peace
thus every mother sent her son who came
to Plataea so never the right would pass
to Go and Tell the Spartans "Greece is free"
and to stand tall and spit in Persian eye.

Every Spartan trained under his father's eye
in battle did each discover his inner light
without fear of death became altogether free
lived life full, fought well, mind at peace
not caring if extinction of body would pass
knew all their spirits to Fields Elysian came.

Plain armor wielded by Spartans came
to form invincible wall to marveled eye
as Xerxes' million approached the pass
forced battle futile dawn to end of light
whence thousands found in death their peace
but could not shake this narrow margin free.

Was not for glory Spartans died but to be free;
by traitor's goat path to naked backs came;
even then Leonidas refused a slave's peace
nearly put out the God-King Xerxes' eye
and if the Persian arrows shut out the light
it took a full week to conquer that pass.

If peace were always plucked like fruit and free
no pass to shade by man matters that came
for sharp eye of Zeus to set as heaven's light.

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"The sestina is a French form . . . of 39 lines divided into 6 sestets and one triplet, called the envoi." (Citing Turco, The New Book of Forms) retrieved from <http://www.public.asu.edu/~aarios/formsofverse/reports2000/page9.html> on 27 March 2011.
"The same set of six words ends the lines of each of the six-line stanzas, but in a different order each time; if we number the first stanza's lines 123456, then the words ending the second stanza's lines appear in the order 615243, then 364125, then 532614, then 451362, and finally 246531. This organization is referred to as retrogradatio cruciata ("retrograde cross"). These six words then appear in the tercet as well, with the tercet's first line usually containing 6 and 2, its second 1 and 4, and its third 5 and 3...." - retrieved from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sestina> on 27 March 2011.
The theme was chosen to mark my 300th poem shared on this site.

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Latest Comments

  • 12 years ago

    by nouriguess

    Congratulations on reaching your 300th poem, your 300th miracle. The more you write, the deeper I fall for your talent, Sir. Congratulations on doing a good, no... a great job with this. Truly impressed me and gave me so much to think about. I think forms are a hard task, but oh well, who am I kidding? Sir Larry is the King of Forms, well, that should be your next screen name, haha. This form, between all other forms, is the hardest, the most well-flowing and the most challenging, so you can say that it's my favorite from you, haha, it's like the 300th time I tell you this, right? :P Everytime I read a piece from you, I remember a poet, an Arabic poet, who always writes in English and different languages, and always tries something new out and just like you, always amazes us with it! I heard of this Sestina form but never (lol, of course) tried it out. I especially like the ending where you incorporated all the used words above altogether. I am on my phone now, so I truly truly can't be any later. My father is about to throw me out of the window, haha, but a very well-written form. Nominated!

  • 12 years ago

    by Lioness

    Larry!

    Another wonderful poem by you.

    Such strong images and very good description and history lesson for us.

    I don't remember reading much about it but I did see the movie with Gerard Butler (mmm *drools*) and thought it was awesome. I loved and so did my hubby (he especially because of the fighting scenes and I for other reasons :D)

    I didn't know much about it until I did see the film and I think it's great that you have written a poem about this because I am unsure how many people know about it, really. I love how poems introduce us to certain things and teach us things we rarely know about. I've opened up my mind to a whole new thing. Your poem makes me want to watch the movie again (for new reasons)

    I think you have done this so much justice with your poem. You really have described everything so well and the way it is penned is awesome. A beautiful, in depth poem. I must say as well, the fact that you managed to do this in a formed poem is brilliant. Well done!

    x

    Oh yeah, congratulations on your 300th poem!!! What an awesome name to mark the celebration!

    x

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