20 pages 40-minute read

Elizabeth Bishop

Sestina

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1956

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

An older woman caring for her granddaughter during a dreary late afternoon in early fall. She prepares an impromptu tea party with hot tea and thick slices of bread, trying to maintain a warm environment in the chilly house. A quiet sadness troubles her, but she consciously hides her tears to protect the young girl from the emotional burden.

Key Relationships

Grandmother of The Child

Reader of The Almanac

A young girl spending a rainy autumn afternoon indoors. She possesses a keen physical awareness, noticing small details like the condensation on the stove. She spends her time creating bold, colorful crayon pictures of rigid houses and tidy gardens, intuitively sensing the sadness in the room even if she does not fully comprehend its source.

Key Relationships

Granddaughter of The Grandmother

Magically connected to The Almanac

Supporting Characters

A yearly farmer's publication containing jokes, recipes, and astronomical information. It hangs on a hook above the child, its pages suspended open like a bird's wings. As the afternoon progresses, it behaves with an almost conscious presence, offering cryptic statements and shedding physical moons from its decorated borders.

Key Relationships

Consulted by The Grandmother

Magically connected to The Child

A two-dimensional figure drawn by the child on her paper. He stands outside an inviting home with a twisting garden path, wearing a coat adorned with buttons shaped exactly like tears. He represents the child's intuitive understanding of absence and loss.

Key Relationships

Creation of The Child