Cinquain Poem
A cinquain is written using a pattern. "Cinq" [pronounced SINK] is French for the number 5. This type of poem only has five lines. Each line follows a specific pattern.
There are many ways to write this type of poetry. The traditional cinquain, as developed by Adelaide Crapsey, has five lines and a strict structure based on syllable count.
| Line 1: | Two syllables |
| Line 2: | Four syllables |
| Line 3: | Six syllables |
| Line 4: | Eight syllables |
| Line 5: | Two syllables |
Example
November Night
Keep thou (two syllables)
Thy tearless watch (four syllables)
All night but when blue-dawn (six syllables)
Breathes on the silver moon, then weep! (eight syllables)
Then weep! (two syllables)
Other methods have emerged but are not, strictly speaking, cinquains. They are five line poems with a preset structure.
| Line1: | One word |
| Line2: | Two words |
| Line 3: | Three words |
| Line 4: | Four words |
| Line 5: | One word |
| Line1: | A noun |
| Line2: | Two adjectives |
| Line 3: | Three -ing words |
| Line 4: | A phrase |
| Line 5: | Another word for the noun |
More Examples of Traditional Cinquains
November Night
Listen . . .
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees
And fall.
Trapped
Well and
If day on day
Follows and weary year
On year . . . and ever days and years . . .
Well?
- all examples by Adelaide Crapsey
|
American poet Adelaide Crapsey created the cinquain[sing-KANE]-based on the Japanese haiku- around the turn of the twentieth century.
© 2011 - 2016 FanStory.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you. Privacy Statement
|
|
