Cinquain Poetry

SHIH TZU Cinquain Poem by the Poetry Lady Denise Rodgers on ClassroomPoems.com.

What is Cinquain Poetry?
1.Cinquain poems are composed of five lines. "Cinq" translates to "five" in French, the origin of the word.

2. Each line has a prescribed number of syllables. For example, the word, syllable, is one word and three syllables.

3. This is the order of syllable number for each line:
two-four-six-eight-two

Cinquain poetry is something like a puzzle. it was developed by a New York poet, Adelaide Crapsey, (1878 - 1914). This form has some things in common with the haiku. However, aside from the fact that it holds to a very specific form and it is NOT supposed to rhyme, it is very different.

Haiku poems are supposed to be about one of the four seasons, and written in the present tense. Read more about Haiku Rules.

These rules do not apply to Cinquain Poetry.

Cinquain Poetry Examples

The best way to understand this form of poetry is to experience a few examples.

The first example is "Shih Tzu." It is about my little dog, Bettina. We adopted her from a shelter to keep our dog, Harley, company. My husband and I like her, too. She is a bundle of personality, and is very affectionate and cuddly. This is a good thing, for as you will see in the poem below, she also has flaws.

SHIH TZU
Shih Tzu
Fluffy small dog
Worked her way in my heart
Even though she poops in the house.
Sometimes.

Poem and Art by Denise Rodgers
The Poetry Lady
Copyright©Denise Rodgers
All rights reserved.
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The second example is "Cocker Spaniel." It is about Harley (pictured below), who we adopted about two years prior to Bettina (see above). He is no longer with us, but he was affectionate -- but not nearly so much as the lap dog, Tina. Fortunately, he did NOT share her nasty flaws. (No little gifts for me to scrub out of the carpet now and then.)

COCKER SPANIEL Cinquain Poem by the Poetry Lady Denise Rodgers on ClassroomPoems.com.

COCKER SPANIEL
The black
Cocker spaniel
Has lived with us longer
Compared to her, he is so huge
And neat.

Poem and Art by Denise Rodgers
The Poetry Lady
Copyright©Denise Rodgers
All rights reserved.
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The next Cinquain Poem poses a question, and answer it as well. Please remember to count the syllables in each line and notice the 2-4-6-8-2 pattern.

SMART YOU Cinquain Poem by the Poetry Lady Denise Rodgers on ClassroomPoems.com.

SMART YOU
How much
Is ten times ten?
If you say one hundred,
You are absolutely correct.
Smart you!

The next Cinquain Poem was written to honor the chair. Please read carefully and count every syllable. Also, please note my model is the ever-patient Harley, impersonating me at my desk.

SIT DOWN
Sit down.
There is a chair.
Or you can choose the floor.
So long as you get off your feet.
And sit.

Poem and Art by Denise Rodgers
The Poetry Lady
Copyright©Denise Rodgers
All rights reserved.
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The last Cinquain Poetry example is about the sun. The forced pattern, in this case, made me put the words together in an unusual way.

SUNLIGHT Cinquain Poem by the Poetry Lady Denise Rodgers on ClassroomPoems.com.

SUNLIGHT
Sunlight
Perfect yellow
Streaming in my window
Brightening up my whole house and
My day.

Poem and Art by Denise Rodgers
The Poetry Lady
Copyright©Denise Rodgers
All rights reserved.
Permissions

Now that you've had a chance to read a few Cinquain Poems, maybe you'd like to try your hand at writing a few of them yourself. Give it a chance. All it takes is paper, pen and a little time and imagination. Have fun!