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Six-line envoy

Structure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A six-line stanza that concludes a poem or poetic form, often summarizing themes or offering a dedicatory message.

Detailed Definition
A six-line concluding stanza serving as envoy or dedicatory conclusion, common in certain ballade variants and medieval forms. The hexastich form provides more space than quatrain envoys for elaborate dedication or final commentary while maintaining the concision appropriate to concluding gestures. This structure allows poets to address recipients, summarize themes, or provide closing meditation with slightly more development than briefer conclusions permit.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Go, little verse, and tell her this: / That though I’m far, my heart stays near. / Let every word your voice caress / Bring back the love we held so dear. / May time not dim what we hold true, / And may she think, at times, of you.”
Additional Notes
Six-line concluding stanza. Common in certain ballade variants. The six lines allow more elaborate dedication or conclusion than shorter envoy forms while maintaining concision.
Also Known As
Hexastich envoy Six-line envoi Sestet conclusion Six-line send-off Envoi hexastich
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