Cinquain
Encyclopedia
Cinquain (ˈsɪŋkeɪn) is a class of poetic
forms that employ a 5-line pattern. Earlier used to describe any five-line form, it now refers to one of several forms that are defined by specific rules and guidelines.
invented the modern form, inspired by Japanese haiku
and tanka
.
In her 1915 collection titled Verse, published one year after her death, Crapsey included 28 cinquains.
Crapsey's cinquains utilized an increasing syllable count
in the first four lines, namely two in the first, four in the second, six in the third, and eight in the fourth, before returning to two syllables on the last line. In addition, though little emphasized by critics, each line in the majority of Crapsey cinquains has a fixed number of stressed syllables
, as well, following the pattern one, two, three, four, one. The most common metrical foot
in her twenty-eight published examples is the iamb, though this is not exclusive. Lines generally do not rhyme. In contrast to the Eastern forms upon which she based them, Crapsey always titled her cinquains, effectively utilizing the title as a sixth line.
The form is illustrated by Crapsey's "November Night":
and PBS Kids
. This form is also embraced by young adults and older poets for its expressive simplicity. The prescriptions of this type of cinquain refer to word count, not syllables and stresses. Ordinarily, the first line is a one-word title, the subject of the poem; the second line is a pair of adjectives describing that title; the third line is a three word phrase that gives more information about the subject; the fourth line consists of four words describing feelings related to that subject; and the fifth line is a single word synonym or other reference for the subject from line one.
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
forms that employ a 5-line pattern. Earlier used to describe any five-line form, it now refers to one of several forms that are defined by specific rules and guidelines.
Crapsey cinquain
American poet Adelaide CrapseyAdelaide Crapsey
Adelaide Crapsey was an American poet. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she was raised in Rochester, New York, daughter of Episcopal priest Algernon Sidney Crapsey, who had been transferred from New York City to Rochester, and Adelaide T...
invented the modern form, inspired by Japanese haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
and tanka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
.
In her 1915 collection titled Verse, published one year after her death, Crapsey included 28 cinquains.
Crapsey's cinquains utilized an increasing syllable count
Meter (poetry)
In poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...
in the first four lines, namely two in the first, four in the second, six in the third, and eight in the fourth, before returning to two syllables on the last line. In addition, though little emphasized by critics, each line in the majority of Crapsey cinquains has a fixed number of stressed syllables
Stress (linguistics)
In linguistics, stress is the relative emphasis that may be given to certain syllables in a word, or to certain words in a phrase or sentence. The term is also used for similar patterns of phonetic prominence inside syllables. The word accent is sometimes also used with this sense.The stress placed...
, as well, following the pattern one, two, three, four, one. The most common metrical foot
Foot (prosody)
The foot is the basic metrical unit that generates a line of verse in most Western traditions of poetry, including English accentual-syllabic verse and the quantitative meter of classical ancient Greek and Latin poetry. The unit is composed of syllables, the number of which is limited, with a few...
in her twenty-eight published examples is the iamb, though this is not exclusive. Lines generally do not rhyme. In contrast to the Eastern forms upon which she based them, Crapsey always titled her cinquains, effectively utilizing the title as a sixth line.
The form is illustrated by Crapsey's "November Night":
Listen...
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees
And fall.
Variations
The Crapsey cinquain has subsequently seen a number of variations by modern poets, including:| Variation | Description |
|---|---|
| Reverse cinquain | a form with one 5-line stanza in a syllabic pattern of two, eight, six, four, two. |
| Mirror cinquain | a form with two 5-line stanzas consisting of a cinquain followed by a reverse cinquain. |
| Butterfly cinquain | a nine-line syllabic form with the pattern two, four, six, eight, two, eight, six, four, two. |
| Crown cinquain | a sequence of five cinquain stanzas functioning to construct one larger poem. |
| Garland cinquain | a series of six cinquains in which the last is formed of lines from the preceding five, typically line one from stanza one, line two from stanza two, and so on. |
Didactic cinquain
The didactic cinquain is closely related to the Crapsey cinquain. It is an informal cinquain widely taught in elementary schools and has been featured in, and popularized by, children's media resources, including Junie B. JonesJunie B. Jones
Junie B. Jones is a children's book series written by Barbara Park and illustrated by Denise Brunkus. The story is written in Junie B.'s perspective.-Characters:Junie Beatrice "Junie B." Jones...
and PBS Kids
PBS Kids
PBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...
. This form is also embraced by young adults and older poets for its expressive simplicity. The prescriptions of this type of cinquain refer to word count, not syllables and stresses. Ordinarily, the first line is a one-word title, the subject of the poem; the second line is a pair of adjectives describing that title; the third line is a three word phrase that gives more information about the subject; the fourth line consists of four words describing feelings related to that subject; and the fifth line is a single word synonym or other reference for the subject from line one.
Other cinquains
| Form | Description |
|---|---|
| Tanka | is a five-line form of unrhymed Japanese poetry, totalling 31 mora Mora (linguistics) Mora is a unit in phonology that determines syllable weight, which in some languages determines stress or timing. As with many technical linguistic terms, the definition of a mora varies. Perhaps the most succinct working definition was provided by the American linguist James D... s structured in a 5-7-5-7-7 pattern. |
| Tetractys | is five-line poem of 20 syllables with a title, arranged in the following order: 1,2,3,4,10, with each line standing as a phrase on its own. It can be inverted, doubled, etc. and was created by the late English poet Ray Stebbings. |
| Cinqku | is a five line blending of the Cinquain and Tanka Waka (poetry) Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature... forms, created by American poet Denis Garrison. It consists of five lines with a total of 17 syllables. |
| Lanterne Lanterne (poem) Lanterne is a five line poem where the first line has one syllable, the second line two syllables, the third line three syllables, the fourth line four syllables and the fifth line one syllable. Each line able to stand on its own with or without a title that sometimes forms an integral part as a... |
is an untitled five line quintain verse with a syllabic pattern of one, two, three, four, one. Each line is usually able to stand on its own. |