Cinquain: an unrhymed poem consisting of five lines arranged in a special way.
Spinning, whirling, twirling
Dances with neighbor Jupiter
A cinquain is an example of shape poetry. Because of the
Cinquain: an unrhymed poem consisting of five lines arranged in a special way.
Spinning, whirling, twirling
Dances with neighbor Jupiter
A cinquain is an example of shape poetry. Because of the exact number of words required for each line of this poem, a unique, symmetrical shape is created from interesting, descriptive words.
The word cinquain comes from the Latin root for “five.” Notice that the cinquain has five lines that follow this sequence:
Line A: One vague or general one-word subject or topic.
Line B: Two vivid adjectives that describe the topic.
Line C: Three interesting “-ing” action verbs that fit the topic.
Line D: Four-word phrase that captures feeling about the topic.
Line E: A very specific term that explains Line A.
Here’s another example:
Preening, searching, stalking
Waits as if praying
Use the tips below to brainstorm on blank paper for different ideas. Then follow the directions to write your own beautiful cinquain. When possible, try to use poetic devices like all