American Cinquain

Poetry Forms

Although I mainly write free verse poems, I enjoy playing around with different forms. When I first started writing poetry over 20 years ago, I wrote traditional poetry (aka rhyme), later moving onto free verse. But my favorite poetry form is Minute, and I’ll add a tutorial on writing them as well.

Cinquain

There are different forms of cinquain’s, but this tutorial focuses on the American Cinquain. The cinquain (sin-kane) originated in Franch (“cinq” means “five” in French), and is also called a quintain or quintet (“quinque” means “five” in Latin).

The basic defintion of cinquain is any five line stanza written in any type of verse, but the form has different rules per different iterations of the form. For example, the English Cinquain followed a rhyme scheme of ababb, abaab or abccb.

As stated above, the information in this tutorial is for the American Cinquain poetry form. The tutorial covers the basic American Cinquain, the American Reverse Cinquain, the Mirror Cinquain, and the Butterfly Cinquain. I’ve written poems for each of these iterations as examples.

American Cinquain

Developed by Adelaide Crapsey, in the early 20th century, the American Cinquain is also known as the Crapsey Cinquain. This is a short, unrhymed poetry form consisting of 22 syllables distributed in a five line stanza.

Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables

Example 1: Waking © 2022 Rena Aliston

Waking
breath releases
the night’s reign while shaking
off what the moon refuses to
maintain

Example 2: Fertile © 2022 Rena Aliston

You said
my silhouette
transmutes barren soil
into a garden of tulips
fertile

American Reverse Cinquain

The American Reverse Cinquain poetry form is the American Cinquain in reverse order.

Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 8 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 4 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables

Example 1: Conjure © 2022 Rena Aliston

Bitter
my petals transgress, spreading angst
across your foundation
black roses speak
conjure

Example 2: Cursed © 2022 Rena Aliston

Hidden
in dreams broken fingers relish
iniquitous flesh. Cursed
I claw myself
awake.

Mirror Cinquain

The Mirror Cinquain poetry form is an American Cinquain followed by an American Reverse Cinquain.

Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
Line 6: 2 syllables
Line 7: 8 syllables
Line 8: 6 syllables
Line 9: 4 syllables
Line 10: 2 syllables

Example 1: Painted © 2022 Rena Aliston

Painted
images run
down my canvas cloaking
my lover’s mischief. Screams bellow
wounded
broken.
Time may never heal what’s begun.
Black mascara running
like paint, down my
canvas.

Example 2: Heaven © 2022 Rena Aliston

Dancing
solitude plays
our song. Captivating
melodies serenade our souls
swaying
rocking
I collapse in your arms as you
lead me across the sky
between the stars
heaven.

Butterfly Cinquain

The Butterfly Cinquain poetry form is an American Cinquain merged with a Reverse Cinquain. The final two syllables of the American Cinquain is the first line of the Reverse Cinquain.

Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
Line 6: 8 syllables
Line 7: 6 syllables
Line 8: 4 syllables
Line 9: 2 syllables

Example: Forgive © 2022 Rena Aliston

Forget
that’s what you want.
My memory erased.
My lips sealed, never speaking truths
holding
onto pain, harboring anguish.
Venom surges within.
This my heart can’t
forgive.