Comments | kellyrfineman: The cinquain

kellyrfineman

The cinquain - a how-to post

Apr 27, 2016 08:21

For history on the creation of this American form by poet Adelaide Crapsey, I hope you will read yesterday's post, if you haven't already done so. The word cinquain is pronounced "SIN-kane", by the by.

The requirements for writing a cinquainAnd please note, this may differ from what your kid learned at school, where some teachers say that a ( Read more... )

forms, cinquain, national poetry month, crapsey, poetry

Comments 5

So, NOT a person, place, or thing... that was a noun, anyway... ext_709338 April 27 2016, 17:54:40 UTC

Huh. Interesting how much misinformation there is about this form, and it's still so new. It's either oversimplified or not fully understood. As always, these little lessons you put out are very thorough. I'm a little more intimidated now to try this again!

Re: So, NOT a person, place, or thing... that was a noun, anyway... kellyrfineman April 28 2016, 13:52:49 UTC

Well, it could be about that, or include that, but that whole formula is a gross oversimplification that caught on - rather like saying a haiku is only 5-7-5 (strict syllable count, no other requirements), when that's not the case, either.

If you read all 28 of the cinquains that Adelaide Crapsey wrote (or, rather, kept), you get a better idea of the form and how it works and how it can be so not limited. Check out this one, which is one sentence (that parses as being entirely about the moon, but is it?)

Niagara, Seen on a Night in November

How frail
Above the bulk
Of crashing water hangs,
Autumnal, evanescent, wan,
The moon.

"How frail hangs the moon", indeed.

Re: So, NOT a person, place, or thing... that was a noun, anyway... ext_709338 April 28 2016, 17:43:21 UTC

That IS lovely.

Yes ext_1476872 April 28 2016, 10:44:02 UTC

I'm guilty of simplifying haiku to 5-7-5 syllables and ignoring all the other nuances of the form, but I will NOT stoop to the over-simplification of the cinquain, and I am a tyrant about acrostics that actually SAY something, rather than wind up as a list of random words.

Re: Yes kellyrfineman April 28 2016, 13:54:34 UTC

Tanita has been doing acrostics all month, and featuring the kind I like (that actual mean something and aren't simple lists). I'm sure you already know that, however.

And YES to trying to write actual, good cinquain. Wait until you see the variations I've posted today!