Cinquain
Cinquain is a poetic form that consists of five lines, originally referred to as a quintain. Developed by poet Adelaide Crapsey in the early 20th century, the American cinquain is characterized by a specific syllable count of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 2 across its lines, typically written in iambic meter. Crapsey’s innovation was influenced by the Japanese forms of tanka and haiku, which emphasize concise thought and vivid imagery. The cinquain aims for clarity and emotional depth, utilizing strong, concrete images to convey meaning effectively.
As the cinquain evolved, it became a popular tool for teaching poetry, leading to the creation of the didactic cinquain. This variant simplifies the structure for educational purposes, starting with a noun as the title and following a straightforward format of adjectives, action phrases, and emotional expression. While the traditional cinquain adheres closely to Crapsey's original design, subsequent adaptations have relaxed some of the formal constraints, allowing for greater creative flexibility. Overall, the cinquain remains a distinctive and engaging form of poetry that invites both structured and personal expression.
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Cinquain
A cinquain is a poem comprised of five lines. Originally called a quintain, this form at first did not require a rhyming scheme, nor did it follow any particular form of meter. In the early twentieth century, a poet named Adelaide Crapsey used this form as the basis of a new poetic style that has come to be known as the American cinquain. This new form combines a closely related title with five lines containing a specified number of syllables: 2, 4, 6, 8, 2, respectively. The form also usually follows iambic meter. Crapsey's form was influenced by the Japanese five-line form of tanka as well as some elements of haiku. While some five-line forms use a rhyme scheme, Crapsey’s cinquain does not.
Overview
Although other five-line poetry forms existed, Adelaide Crapsey developed this form around 1911. Crapsey was a serious student of prosody, or the study of metrical structure in poetry. She also read translations of Japanese haiku and tanka, short poetic forms that appear deceptively simple, but which actually require high levels of poetic skill. For her new form, Crapsey used five lines, as in tanka, and strove for the haiku elements of condensed thought, clear imagery, and compressed emotions. She used non-rhyming iambic meter and 22 syllables broken up as follows: 2/4/6/8/2.
Tanka is five-line Japanese verse that dates back to the seventh century b.c.e. This type of verse requires a certain number of syllables per line and is designed to complement the Japanese language. Although Crapsey was strongly influenced by tanka, the cinquain she invented is structured for English. First, the poem must have an active, related title that enhances the work and serves almost as a sixth line. Second, the form uses mainly iambic meter, in which an unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable; the stress pattern uses 1/2/3/4/1 stresses in each respective line. The lines also follow a pattern of syllables, putting 2/4/6/8/2 syllables in the corresponding lines. Finally, Crapsey strove for the precise, economic language and compressed emotion of the Japanese forms she had studied, relying on concrete images that lead to a forceful jump in the final, brief line of the poem.
As the American cinquain grew in popularity, its form evolved and changed. While the American form follows Crapsey’s original line and syllable counts, it usually lacks strict adherence to the stress pattern. It also disregards Japanese influences, becoming essentially a five-line poem with a 2/4/6/8/2 syllabic structure.
Another form of cinquain evolved as the style became a popular way to teach children how to write poetry. This form became known as didactic cinquain due to its original role as a teaching tool. In this version, the first line consists of one word, a noun, which is also the title. The second line is made up of two adjectives that describe the title. The third line is a three-word phrase that portrays action. The fourth line uses four words to express emotion. The fifth line is a single word that evokes the title. This form doesn’t follow any meter or syllables requirements.
Nancy Comstock
Bibliography
"Cinquain Poetry Type." Poetic Terminolgy.net. Siteseen Ltd., 2014. Web. 11 Jul. 2014.
<http://www.poeticterminology.net/12-cinquain-poetry-type.htm>
Smith, Susan Sutton. "Adelaide Crapsey: 'An Unconscious Imagist.'" University of Rochester Library Bulletin. University of Rochester Libraries, 2014. Web. 11 Jul. 2014.
<https://www.lib.rochester.edu/index.cfm?PAGE=4039>
Toleos, Aaron. "A Scholarly Exploration of the American Cinquain as Popularized by Adelaide Crapsey." Cinquain.org. Aaron Toleos, 2010. Web. 11 Jul. 2014.
<http://www.cinquain.org/https://www.lib.rochester.edu/index.cfm?PAGE=4039>