A Cinquain is a short non-rhyming poem of 5 lines developed by Adalaide Crapsey.
Note that it is pronounced “sin-cane,” not “sin-kwane”.
This class of poetic forms is very popular because of it’s obvious simplicity. It follows one of three formats:
FORMAT #1
Line 1: One word
Line 2: Two words
Line 3: Three words
Line 4: Four words
Line 5: One word
FORMAT #2
Line 1: A noun
Line 2: Two adjectives
Line 3: Three -ing words
Line 4: A phrase
Line 5: Another word for the noun
FORMAT #3
Line 1: Two syllables
Line 2: Four syllables
Line 3: Six syllables
Line 4: Eight syllables
Line 5: Two syllables
All must relate to same theme or subject.
As with most short forms a title is not necessary.
Here are two of mine:
RED
Carmine
Colour of blood
Does honour there still show?
Outpouring voluminous flow
Scarlet.Warhorse
Large, powerful
Charging, tramping, prancing
Imposing and bold
Stallion.
Here is one of Adalaide Crapsey’s:
Listen…
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost crisp’d, break from the trees
And fall.
by Late by Fr. Albert Jungers (Read more on Cinquains at Wikipedia)
