A Cinquain is a five-lined poem (hence the name!) and is a favorite poetic form for many kids because, as one of our Brave Writer students pointed out: āThey are easy and fun to write and they donāt require a whole lot of words!ā They also reinforce some basic grammatical parts of speech.
Format for Writing a Cinquain
Line 1: One word (a noun, the subject of the poem)
Line 2: Two words (adjectives that describe the subject in line 1)
Line 3: Three words (-ing action verbsāparticiplesāthat relate to the subject in line 1)
Line 4: Four words (a phrase or sentence that relates feelings about the subject in line 1)
Line 5: One word (a synonym for the subject in line 1 or a word that sums it up)
Alternative Line 5 for older poets: Five words (a phrase or sentence that further relates feelings about the subject in line 1)
Sometimes each line is centered to create a diamond or tree-like shape.
Hereās a Cinquain off the top of my head
Poetry
Clever, crafty
Writing, composing, describing
Best words, best order
Verse
For older and/or more practiced students, the precise syllables for the cinquain should be observed, following the directions above for relating to the subject of the poem in the first line:
Line 1: two syllables
Line 2: four syllables
Line 3: six syllables
Line 4: eight syllables
Line 5: two syllables (alternative line: ten syllables)
Students may capitalize all the words, none of the words, the first words of each line, or just certain words. And each poem may be capitalized differently, depending on its subject matter, diction (word choice), etc. Just see which way feels the best to you for each poem. Also, slight variations of syllables are okay.
Hereās another Cinquain poem by Dawn Slanker
Dog
Loyal, Brave
Loving, Playing, Guarding
Best friend of man
Pet
So read Cinquain poems for a Poetry Teatime. And maybe write a few of your own!
Cinquain Definition
What is a cinquain? Hereās a quick and simple definition:
The word cinquain can refer to two different things. Historically, it referred to any stanza of five lines written in any type of verse. More recently, cinquain has come to refer to particular types of five-line poems that have precisely defined features, such as their meter or the number of syllables they contain in each line. The most common of these specific types of cinquains is the American cinquain.
Some additional key details about cinquains:
ā¢ Another name for a five-line stanza is a quintet, and five-line poems can also be called quintains.
ā¢ The American cinquain was created by the American poet Adelaide Crapsey in the early 20th century.
ā¢ A variant of the American cinquain, called the didactic cinquain, is often taught to children in school.
Cinquain Pronunciation
Here's how to pronounce cinquain: sin-kane
Cinquains as Five-Line Stanzas in Formal Verse
Five-line stanzas are particularly common in formal verseāverse that has both a strict meter and rhyme scheme. They appear in many different languages, and are used for different purposes. Examples can be found dating back to medieval French poetry. Here are some key details about cinquain's most common appearances in formal verse:
ā¢ The five-line stanza was particularly popular in English formal verse in the 16th and 17th centuries, when iambic pentameter (a metrical form consisting of five iambs per line) was the most commonly-used meter. Consequently, many of the most well-known examples of cinquains are written in iambic pentameter, though poets also used other meters in cinquains.
ā¢ Limericks are a common form of humorous poetry that typically consists of a single, rhyming cinquain written in iambic meter.
ā¢ The number of cinquains in a given poem can vary. An entire poem can be a single cinquain, or a poem might have many cinquain stanzas.
American Cinquains
In the early twentieth century the American poet Adelaide Crapsey, inspired by the five-line Japanese poetic form of tanka, began to write five-line poems that followed a distinct form. This poetic form soon came to be known as an American cinquain (though it's also sometimes referred to as a Crapseian cinquain, after its creator).
The American cinquain is an unrhymed, five-line poetic form defined by the number of syllables in each lineāthe first line has two syllables, the second has four, the third six, the fourth eight, and the fifth two (2-4-6-8-2). They are typically written using iambs. Adelaide Crapsey's "November Night" is a good example:
Listen...
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees
And fall.
Some scholars define the line length of American cinquains by counting iambs or stressed syllables, rather than by counting total syllables. By this sort of counting, the proper line length of an American cinquain would be 1-2-3-4-1, since it would contain one iamb in the first line, two in the second line, and so on. The right way to count the line length is ultimately a matter of interpretation, though, since Crapsey never specified the rules of the form she invented.
Variations on American Cinquains
American cinquains have inspired a number of variations, which are most often written by amateur poets.
ā¢ Reverse cinquain: An American cinquain in reverse order, so the syllables in its lines follow the pattern of 2-8-6-4-2.
ā¢ Mirror cinquain: An American cinquain followed by a reverse cinquain.
ā¢ Butterfly cinquain: An American cinquain is merged with a reverse cinquain, such that the final two syllable line of the American cinquain is the first line of the reverse cinquain. The result is a nine line poem with the syllable-per-line pattern of 2-4-6-8-2-8-6-4-2.
ā¢ Crown cinquain: Five American cinquains written to form a single five-stanza poem.
ā¢ Garland cinquain: Six American cinquains, in which the lines of the final stanza are taken from the first five, with line one of the final stanza using line one of the first stanza, line two of the final stanza using line two of the second stanza, etc.
Didactic Cinquains
The didactic cinquain is a simplification of the American cinquain. This variation is used primarily in classrooms for teaching poetry to children. Didactic cinquains dictate both the number of words per line and the types of words used in each line.
ā¢ Line length: The number of words in each line and follows the pattern 1-2-3-4-1 (so that the first line has one word, the second has two, and so on).
ā¢ Types of words used on each line:
Here's an example:
Ocean
Blue, powerful
Waves crashing ashore
Teeming with sea creatures
Life
Cinquain Examples
The following examples cover both the general and specific definitions of cinquain. The general definition refers to any five-line stanza, while the specific definition primarily refers to a particular type of five-line poem called the American cinquain.
Examples of Cinquains as Any Five-Line Stanza
The examples below show the vast variety of poems written using five-line stanzas.
Donne's "Hymn to God, My God, In My Sickness"
This example of a cinquain written in formal verse is from a poem by the 17th century poet John Donne. In this poem, Donne uses iambic pentameter and an ABABB rhyme scheme.
We think that Paradise and Calvary,
Christ's cross and Adam's tree, stood in one place ;
Look, Lord, and find both Adams met in me ;
As the first Adam's sweat surrounds my face,
May the last Adam's blood my soul embrace.
Lear's "There was an Old Man in a boat"
The poet Edward Lear is famous for his limericksāshort, humorous poems consisting of five lines that usually describe an eccentric figure experiencing misfortune. This limerick is a well-known classic that follows the formula.
There was an Old Man in a boat,
Who said, 'I'm afloat, I'm afloat!'
When they said, 'No! you ain't!'
He was ready to faint,
That unhappy Old Man in a boat.
Poe's "To Helen"
This is the first stanza of a poem by Edgar Alan Poe that is written in cinquains and follows the rhyme scheme ABABB. The first four lines of this stanza are in iambic tetrameter, (four iambs per line) while the fifth is iambic trimeter (three iambs per line).
Helen, thy beauty is to me
Like those Nicean barks of yore,
That gently, oāer a perfumed sea,
The weary, way-worn wanderer bore
To his own native shore.
A Tanka by Hiroko Seki's
Here is an example of the traditional Japanese five-line poem known as tanka, a form which inspired Adelaide Crapsley to create the American cinquain. Each of the lines of a tanka has a prescribed number of syllables following the typical pattern of 5-7-5-7-7 (so that the first line has five syllables, the second has seven, and so forth). This particular tanka was written by the Japanese poet Hiroko Seki:
In castle ruins
the tappings of a hand-drum
so clearly echo,
that in Komachi's dancing
even the moon seemed to smile.
American Cinquains
Crapsey's "Triad"
Adelaide Crapsey invented the American cinquain, which in modern times is often referred to simply as a cinquain. It is a non-rhyming, five-line poem with two syllables in the first line, four in the second, six in the third, eight in the fourth, and two in the fifth. Her poem "Triad" adheres to this form. The meter is iambicāeach line is organized by two-syllable groupings, an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (be-fore).
These be
Three silent things:
The falling snow. . the hour
Before the dawn. . the mouth of one
Just dead.
A Didactic Cinquain
This is an example of a didactic cinquain, a variation on the American cinquain in which line length is determined by the number of words in each line, instead of the number of syllables. The Didactic cinquain follows the pattern 1-2-3-4-1 (so that the first line has one word, the second has two, and so forth).
Rain
Light, soft
Hanging, drifting, suspended
Making the world ghostly
Mist
Why Do Writers Choose to Write Cinquains?
Adelaide Crapsey invented the American cinquain because she was inspired by traditional forms of Japanese poetry (such as the tanka) and she wanted to work within the restrictions that their strict metrical conventions imposed on poetic expression. The result is a form of poetry that is short, meditative, imagistic, and above all delicateāa quality regarded as beautiful in and of itself.
The limerick, by contrast, could hardly be more different than the tanka or American cinquain, exemplifying how varied the uses of the cinquain can be. Limericks lack all the eloquence and gravity of American cinquains. Instead, limericks are intended to be recited as jokes, and their less-strict meter enables writers to use the form to weave short narratives.
Ultimately, the vast differences between different sorts of five-line poems shows that the style of a poem is influenced more by the meter than by than the number of lines.
Lesson Objective
Students will be able to identify the common structures of cinquain poetry and write their own examples.
Lesson Plan
Connection (3-5 mins): Students should be seated on the carpet with a partner. They will be expected to turn and talk to a partner during this lesson. We have been working hard the past few days to identify new types of poetry. Today we will focus on a type of poetry called a cinquain.
Teach/Active Engagement (10-12 mins): A cinquain is a five line poem that describes a noun. Who can remind me what the definition of a noun? Teacher calls on a student to respond. Students should respond a noun is a person, place, or thing. There is a format to follow when writing cinquains as well. Look at this poem titled, Penguins. Teacher reveals chart paper with the poem written.
Penguins
Black, white
Swimming, jumping, fishing
All the penguins jump down into the water.
Birds
The first line is always one word that is a noun. In this poem the noun is penguins. This lets me know the rest of the poem will be about penguins.
The second line always has two adjectives, or words that describe a noun. In this poem the adjectives are black and white. These two words describe what a penguin looks like.
The third line always contains three verbs or action words with the ending āing. Penguins normally swim, jump, and fish.
The fourth line is a phrase, or a sentence about the noun. For example, in this poem the sentence is, ā all penguins jump down into the water.ā The sentence is still related to the topic but describes something more about penguins.
Finally, the fifth line of a cinquain poem, is one word. This one word is a synonym for the title of the poem. Birds is a synonym for penguins in our example above. The writer simply renamed the noun from the first line.
All cinquain poems follow this five line structure. Letās look at another example together. Teacher shows another chart paper with the poem, Moon written.
Moon
Dark, holes
Moving, changing, repeating
The moon revolves around the earth in one month.
Rock
Turn to your partner and take turns reading this poem aloud. What do you notice about the structure of the poem? Students should respond citing examples from the previous poem including the adjectives and verbs. You all did a great job discussing that poem. Today, during workshop time continue to work on finding examples of cinquains in your poetry packets. You may return to your seats.
Independent Reading (15-20 mins): Students should read through their poetry packets at this time. While reading, they should try to identify examples of cinquain poetry. If they find an example, the student should alert the teacher. If there is time at the end of the lesson, students may share out their findings.
Exit Slip/Share (3-5 mins): Students will complete an exit slip requiring them to identify a cinquain and write their own example. Students may also share out examples they found during independent reading time.
Reflection: Cinquains incorporate a lot of concepts students have already learned throughout the year including, synonyms, and parts of speech. Some students may need additional help with identifying the parts of speech. If so they maybe paired with a higher student for independent reading time.
Cinquain
A cinquain is a specific type of poem, created by Adelaide Crapsey. It has five lines, but they do not rhyme. Each line has a set number of syllables:
Line 1-2 syllables
Line 2-4 syllables
Line 3-6 syllables
Line 4-8 syllables
Lines 5-2 syllables
In the original form by Crapsey (American Cinquain), each of these lines was written in iambic pentameter-meaning they had lines with unstressed, stressed syllables alternating.
There are some variations on the form. For example, the Didactic Cinquain has the following characteristics:
Line 1-One word, also the title
Line 2-Two adjectives that describe the word in line one
Line 3-Three words that give more information about the subject.
Line 4-Four words that show emotion about the subject-either
individual words or a phrase/sentence Line 5-Synonym of the title or a word very similar to it.
A cinquain typically has vivid imagery and is an attempt to express a specific mood or emotion.
Examples of Cinquain:
Didactic form:
Strawberries
Ripe, juicy
Beckoning, Dripping, Biting
A herald of springtime.
Fruit
Didactic form:
Computer
Cold, silent
Thinking, Producing, Calculating
Smarter than me, maybe?
Unfeeling
Triad by Adelaide Crapsey (American Cinquain)
These be
three silent things:
The falling snow . . . the hour
Before the dawn . . . the mouth of one
Just dead.
The Guarded Wound by Adelaide Crapsey (American Cinquain)
If it
Were lighter touch
Than petal of flower resting
On grass, oh still too heavy it were,
Too heavy!
Overview
Cinquain (pronounced "cin-kain") is a five-line poetic form, using a wavelike word count of two-four-six-eight-two. In this lesson, sample cinquains are read aloud as a class, allowing students to familiarize themselves with the form. Students then write simple cinquain of their own as a follow-up to a subject they have been exploring in class. Although students can write about any subject, graphic organizers and other resources are available to support units on animals, community, fairy tales, healthy foods, picture books, and rainforest/habitats.
From Theory to Practice
In Apol and Harris's article "Joyful Noises: Creating Poems for Voices and Ears," one of the ways teachers build interest in poetry is by using magnetic words to create original poems. This exercise is one of several scaffolding experiences that the teachers use to "lead students beyond a superficial encounter to a deeper understanding and appreciation of poetry" . Through reading cinquain and then writing their own, students move from simply reading the poems to analyzing the poems and, ultimately, composing their own poems that match the format.
Common Core Standards
This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.
SelectAlabamaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeUtahVermontVirgin IslandsWashingtonWashington DCWisconsinWyoming
Select
State Standards
This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.
SelectAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington DCWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts
ā¢ 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
ā¢ 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
ā¢ 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
ā¢ 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Preparation
ā¢ Make copies of worksheets for students as necessary.
ā¢ This lesson can accompany a variety of themes in the K-2 classroom. Example printouts are included to fit the following units:
ā¢ Animals (Dalmatian, Monkey)
ā¢ Your Community (Firefighter)
ā¢ Fairy Tales (Frog Prince)
ā¢ Picture Book Characters (Amazing Grace)
ā¢ Halloween Costumes (Firefighter)
ā¢ Habitats (Monkey/Rainforest)
ā¢ Healthy Foods (Apple-in English & Spanish)
Student Objectives
Students will
ā¢ write a poem about another topic, using the cinquain graphic organizer or outline.
ā¢ use words learned in the current thematic unit in poems they write.
Instruction & Activities
ā¢ Share examples of cinquain with your students. Using the Sample Cinquains handout or poems that you have written yourself on the topic that your students are exploring is also available.
ā¢ You or the students might read the poems aloud. Try reading some of the cinquain more than once to show how different words can be emphasize and to talk about line breaks. See "Joyful Noises: Creating Poems for Voices and Ears" (Apol and Harris, March 1999) for more information on reading poetry aloud.
ā¢ Outline the cinquain (below) for students on the board or using the graphic organizer:
To begin, choose an person, place, or thing to write your cinquain about.
Line 1: One word that tells what the poem is about
Line 2: Two words that describe the subject
Line 3: Three words that describe something the subject does
Line 4: Four to six words describing the subject further
Line 5: One or two words that rename what the poem is about (a synonym)
Here's an example:
Dalmatian
spotted, happy
running, barking, jumping
a wagging tail on the end
Fire Dog!
ā¢ Once you and your students discuss the poems, students can use one of the Cinquain Graphic Organizer printouts to compose original poems of their own. Students can work individually, with partners, or in small groups.
ā¢ Once students have finished their poems, the cinquains can be shared with the entire class.
Extensions
ā¢ Illustrate the cinquain on a sheet of paper with colored pencils or fine-line markers.
ā¢ Create a bulletin board or school website anthology of your cinquain.
Student Assessment / Reflections
ā¢ While students work, use kidwatching techniques to observe and monitor students' progress.
ā¢ After students have shared their cinquain with the class, students could reflect on their own and their classmates's poems. Students could discuss their reactions out loud or use the cinquain reflections worksheet to record their thoughts.
Grades
1 - 4
|Calendar Activity
|After reading two complementary Reading Rainbow selections, students compare the selections using the Venn Diagram and write a comparison essay.
Grades
K - 12
|Calendar Activity
|Literacy-Related Event
Students investigate the website of a past Poet Laureate's project and use it as a model to celebrate poetry that appeals most to them.
Grades
K - 8
|Professional Library
|Journal
Jessica
K-12 Teacher
The instructional plan says there is a student reproducible with sample cinquains, but the only samples are on the graphic organizers. It would be nice if there was a page of just cinquain samples for kids to see.
Lisa Fink, RWT Staff
K-12 Teacher
Syd Schneider
K-12 Teacher
Great examples and worksheets. My students enjoyed adding the graphics as modeled in the samples.
Two suggestions for the model: On the Apple Graphic Organizer page, "rojo" modifies manzana and therefore needs to be in the feminie form of "roja" - also, the singular negative command in Spanish for don't eat in the familiar form (which would apply to students/friends/peers/etc.) would be "no comas" (the singular negative formal command would be "no coma" and the plural negative formal command would be "no coman" - the translations of "no comes" would be "you're not eating" / "you don't eat" / "you don't usually eat" (statements, not the imperative mood)
Jessica
K-12 Teacher
The instructional plan says there is a student reproducible with sample cinquains, but the only samples are on the graphic organizers. It would be nice if there was a page of just cinquain samples for kids to see.
Lisa Fink, RWT Staff
K-12 Teacher
Syd Schneider
K-12 Teacher
Great examples and worksheets. My students enjoyed adding the graphics as modeled in the samples.
Two suggestions for the model: On the Apple Graphic Organizer page, "rojo" modifies manzana and therefore needs to be in the feminie form of "roja" - also, the singular negative command in Spanish for don't eat in the familiar form (which would apply to students/friends/peers/etc.) would be "no comas" (the singular negative formal command would be "no coma" and the plural negative formal command would be "no coman" - the translations of "no comes" would be "you're not eating" / "you don't eat" / "you don't usually eat" (statements, not the imperative mood)
R Susan Spradlin
K-12 Teacher
Thank you for this lesson plan. I needed to teach my first grade students how to create a simple poem and also need to teach adjectives: cinquains! I had forgotten about this style. I am excited to do this with them. Thank you, again.
Frank Salvatore
K-12 Teacher
This looks like a great lesson that will lead the kids through the learning not only poetry but other motivators to learn about nouns and adjectives. Thank you for ALL of the great resources like work sheets and instructions and activities. Greatly Appreciated!
Tania Christian
K-12 Teacher
Thank you! Fantastic lesson which helped out, especially when I needed to take a writing lesson with very short notice. š
Tania Christian
K-12 Teacher
Thank you! Fantastic lesson which helped out, especially when I needed to take a writing lesson with very short notice. š
Jessica
K-12 Teacher
The instructional plan says there is a student reproducible with sample cinquains, but the only samples are on the graphic organizers. It would be nice if there was a page of just cinquain samples for kids to see.
Lisa Fink, RWT Staff
K-12 Teacher
Syd Schneider
K-12 Teacher
Great examples and worksheets. My students enjoyed adding the graphics as modeled in the samples.
Two suggestions for the model: On the Apple Graphic Organizer page, "rojo" modifies manzana and therefore needs to be in the feminie form of "roja" - also, the singular negative command in Spanish for don't eat in the familiar form (which would apply to students/friends/peers/etc.) would be "no comas" (the singular negative formal command would be "no coma" and the plural negative formal command would be "no coman" - the translations of "no comes" would be "you're not eating" / "you don't eat" / "you don't usually eat" (statements, not the imperative mood)
R Susan Spradlin
K-12 Teacher
Thank you for this lesson plan. I needed to teach my first grade students how to create a simple poem and also need to teach adjectives: cinquains! I had forgotten about this style. I am excited to do this with them. Thank you, again.
R Susan Spradlin
K-12 Teacher
Thank you for this lesson plan. I needed to teach my first grade students how to create a simple poem and also need to teach adjectives: cinquains! I had forgotten about this style. I am excited to do this with them. Thank you, again.
Frank Salvatore
K-12 Teacher
This looks like a great lesson that will lead the kids through the learning not only poetry but other motivators to learn about nouns and adjectives. Thank you for ALL of the great resources like work sheets and instructions and activities. Greatly Appreciated!
Tania Christian
K-12 Teacher
Thank you! Fantastic lesson which helped out, especially when I needed to take a writing lesson with very short notice. š
Frank Salvatore
K-12 Teacher
This looks like a great lesson that will lead the kids through the learning not only poetry but other motivators to learn about nouns and adjectives. Thank you for ALL of the great resources like work sheets and instructions and activities. Greatly Appreciated!