Cinquain
📋 What it is
A cinquain is a five-line poem, often with a 2-4-6-8-2 syllable pattern.
🗣️ Coach says
A cinquain is a five-line shape that grows then shrinks: 2, 4, 6, 8, then 2 syllables. The lines swell with detail and snap shut at the end. It's a fun, flexible form to play with.
🧠 Memory hook
Cinquain = 2-4-6-8-2 syllables. It grows, then snaps shut.
😂 Giggle
Why did the limerick's last line get all the laughs?
Because that's where the funny twist lives!
😲 Whoa!
The modern cinquain was invented by American poet Adelaide Crapsey, inspired by haiku and tanka.
✅ Quick check: A cinquain's syllable pattern grows 2-4-6-8 and then does what on the last line?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Drops back to 2 — a short, snappy ending.
The 2-4-6-8-2 shape expands then contracts sharply.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Write a cinquain about an animal, following 2-4-6-8-2 syllables.