How to Write a Cinquain Poem
Be aware that there are various types of cinquain., Know what a syllable is., Know what meter is., Learn how to count stressed and unstressed syllables., Forget everything you’ve learned., Decide on your poem’s theme., Title your poem., Write your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be aware that there are various types of cinquain.
The Crapsey cinquain’s structure is more restrictive than an American cinquain.
While an American cinquain requires a specific number of syllables per line, the Crapsey cinquain takes it a step further and requires a certain number of stressed syllables per line.The Crapsey structure goes like this:
Line 1 = 2 syllables (1 stressed); Line 2 = 4 syllables (2 stressed); Line 3 = 6 syllables (3 stressed); Line 4 = 8 syllables (4 stressed); Line 5 = 2 syllables (1 stressed).
The American cinquain’s structure goes like this:
Line 1 = 2 syllables; Line 2 = 4 syllables; Line 3 = 6 syllables; Line 4 = 8 syllables; Line 5 = 2 syllables. , Syllables are units of pronunciation having one vowel sound.
Each word is made up one or more syllables.The word “it” is only 1 syllable.
The word “hello” is 2 syllables (hel-lo).
The word “happily” is 3 syllables (hap-pi-ly).If you’re unsure of how many syllables are in a word, there are online services that can help you.
The website How Many Syllables is useful.
You just type in your word and it breaks it into syllables for you., Most poetry has a rhythm to it.
This is called its “meter”, and can be measured by counting the number of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line.
William Shakespeare famously used iambic pentameter in his plays and sonnets.
Iambic pentameter comprises 10 syllables, with 5 of those syllables stressed.
Here is a sample line from Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 73”, with the stressed syllables capitalized: “That TIME of YEAR thou MAYST in ME beHOLD.”Notice how in iambic pentameter the syllables alternate between unstressed and stressed.
You do not have two stressed syllables together in iambic pentameter, although this is possible with other types of meter (for example, spondaic meter)., To count the stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry, read it out loud.
As you read, clap your hands together each time a syllable feels longer than the others.
As an example, think of the noun “rebel” versus the verb “rebel”.
In the noun, the first syllable is stressed, like this:
REbel.
In the verb, the second syllable is stressed, like this: reBEL.As you pronounce the words you should be able to feel which are longer (stressed) and which are shorter (unstressed).
If English is not your first language, you can look up the word in an online dictionary to hear the proper pronunciation. , You don’t have to know how to count stresses or even syllables in order to write an American cinquain poem.
For instance, a “Word Cinquain” only requires you to count the words in each line.
You only need to know about syllables if you’re writing a classic American cinquain or a Crapsey cinquain.
You only need to know about stresses if you’re specifically interested in writing a Crapsey cinquain. , This could be anything you want to write about.
It could be playful, funny, serious, or sad — it’s up to you.
In this example, the topic will be an evil cat who has fallen asleep on you and just woken up from his nap.
Maybe this is a metaphor for someone who feels great anxiety when they wake up each day.
Perhaps the cat is a metaphor for the sunlight shining in through the curtains in the morning as you lie in bed. , Cinquain poems don’t need to be titled, but Crapsey always titled hers.If you’re writing a Crapsey Cinquain, you’ll need to title yours.
In this example, the title is “Lucifer Rises”. , Your first line must have 2 syllables.
One of those syllables must be stressed.
E.g. “You see” Note that “see” is the stressed syllable here. , This line must have 4 syllables.
Two of those syllables must be stressed.
E.g. “His back arch up” Note that “back” and “up” are the stressed syllables here. , This line must have 6 syllables.
Three of those syllables must be stressed.
E.g. “His claws, they dig so deep” Note that “claws”, “dig” and “deep” are the stressed syllables here. , This line must have 8 syllables.
Four of those syllables must be stressed.
E.g. “You tense, he yawns, your stomach tears” Note that “tense”, “yawns”, “stom” (as in STOMach), and “tears” are the stressed syllables here. , This line is like the first line.
It has only 2 syllables.
Of those syllables, only 1 syllable should be stressed.
E.g. “He grins” Note that “grins” is the stressed syllable here. , Give your poem a read and make sure it meets the metric requirements of a Crapsey cinquain.
Here is a breakdown of the syllables and stresses (capitalized) of each line of our sample poem:
Line 1:
You SEE
- 2 syllables, 1 stress Line 2:
His BACK arch UP
- 4 syllables, 2 stresses Line 3:
His CLAWS, they DIG so DEEP
- 6 syllables, 3 stresses Line 4:
You TENSE, he YAWNS, your STOMach TEARS
- 8 syllables, 4 stresses Line 5:
He GRINS
- 2 syllables, 1 stress , ”Lucifer Rises” You see His back arch up His claws, they dig so deep You tense, he yawns, your stomach tears He grins , American cinquains are much more flexible than Crapsey ones.
Generally an American cinquain will follow a 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 2 syllabic count, but there are variations on this.For example, the “Word Cinquain” follows this structure:
Line 1 = 1 word; Line 2 = 2 words; Line 3 = 3 words; Line 4 = 4 words; Line 5 = 1 word.For the purposes of this example, we’ll follow the more common style that focuses on syllables. , This could be anything that interests you.
It can be funny, sad, serious, satirical — whatever you want.
In our example, we’ll compare school to a giant monster who wants to eat us.
A title isn’t necessary, but we’ll add one in our example.
The title will be “Schoolhouse”. , Your first line must have 2 syllables.
It can be one or two words.
Line 1 e.g., ”Gaping” , Your second line can have as many words as you want in it, but they have to add up to 4 syllables.
This means you’ll have 1 to 4 words max in this line, depending on how many syllables each word contains.
Line 2 e.g., “Its mouth awaits” , Your third line can have as many words as you want in it, but they need to add up to 6 syllables.
This could be anywhere from 1 to 6 words.
Curious about what words might contain 6 syllables? Capitalization and encyclopedia are two examples.Line 3 e.g., “Hungry, slowly chomping” , Again, the amount of words isn’t as important as the amount of syllables in this line.
You need to have 8 syllables in line
4.
This can be anywhere from 1 to 8 words.
Most 8-syllable words might be difficult to fit into a poem, but it can still be fun trying.
Here are a couple of examples of 8-syllable words: heteronormativity and indecipherability.Line 4 e.g., “Stumble in, consumed, digesting” , This is your final line, and it will mirror your first line.
It can be either 1 or 2 words, but it needs to be 2 syllables.
Line 5 e.g., “Learning” , Give your poem a read and make sure it meets criteria of whatever cinquain you’re writing, whether it be a syllable-based one or a word-based one.
Here’s how our example breaks down (note the hyphens to mark syllables):
Line 1:
Gap-ing (2 syllables) Line 2:
Its mouth a-waits (4 syllables) Line 3:
Hun-gry, slow-ly chomp-ing (6 syllables) Line 4:
Stum-ble in, con-sumed, di-gest-ing (8 syllables) Line 5:
Learn-ing (2 syllables) , “Schoolhouse” Gaping Its mouth awaits Hungry, slowly chomping Stumble in, consumed, digesting Learning -
Step 2: Know what a syllable is.
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Step 3: Know what meter is.
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Step 4: Learn how to count stressed and unstressed syllables.
-
Step 5: Forget everything you’ve learned.
-
Step 6: Decide on your poem’s theme.
-
Step 7: Title your poem.
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Step 8: Write your first line.
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Step 9: Write your second line.
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Step 10: Write your third line.
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Step 11: Write your fourth line.
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Step 12: Write your fifth and final line.
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Step 13: Read your poem.
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Step 14: Enjoy your completed poem!
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Step 15: Decide on what type of American cinquain you will write.
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Step 16: Decide on your poem’s theme.
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Step 17: Write your first line.
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Step 18: Write your second line.
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Step 19: Write your third line.
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Step 20: Write your fourth line.
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Step 21: Write your fifth line.
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Step 22: Read your poem.
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Step 23: Enjoy your completed poem!
Detailed Guide
The Crapsey cinquain’s structure is more restrictive than an American cinquain.
While an American cinquain requires a specific number of syllables per line, the Crapsey cinquain takes it a step further and requires a certain number of stressed syllables per line.The Crapsey structure goes like this:
Line 1 = 2 syllables (1 stressed); Line 2 = 4 syllables (2 stressed); Line 3 = 6 syllables (3 stressed); Line 4 = 8 syllables (4 stressed); Line 5 = 2 syllables (1 stressed).
The American cinquain’s structure goes like this:
Line 1 = 2 syllables; Line 2 = 4 syllables; Line 3 = 6 syllables; Line 4 = 8 syllables; Line 5 = 2 syllables. , Syllables are units of pronunciation having one vowel sound.
Each word is made up one or more syllables.The word “it” is only 1 syllable.
The word “hello” is 2 syllables (hel-lo).
The word “happily” is 3 syllables (hap-pi-ly).If you’re unsure of how many syllables are in a word, there are online services that can help you.
The website How Many Syllables is useful.
You just type in your word and it breaks it into syllables for you., Most poetry has a rhythm to it.
This is called its “meter”, and can be measured by counting the number of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line.
William Shakespeare famously used iambic pentameter in his plays and sonnets.
Iambic pentameter comprises 10 syllables, with 5 of those syllables stressed.
Here is a sample line from Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 73”, with the stressed syllables capitalized: “That TIME of YEAR thou MAYST in ME beHOLD.”Notice how in iambic pentameter the syllables alternate between unstressed and stressed.
You do not have two stressed syllables together in iambic pentameter, although this is possible with other types of meter (for example, spondaic meter)., To count the stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry, read it out loud.
As you read, clap your hands together each time a syllable feels longer than the others.
As an example, think of the noun “rebel” versus the verb “rebel”.
In the noun, the first syllable is stressed, like this:
REbel.
In the verb, the second syllable is stressed, like this: reBEL.As you pronounce the words you should be able to feel which are longer (stressed) and which are shorter (unstressed).
If English is not your first language, you can look up the word in an online dictionary to hear the proper pronunciation. , You don’t have to know how to count stresses or even syllables in order to write an American cinquain poem.
For instance, a “Word Cinquain” only requires you to count the words in each line.
You only need to know about syllables if you’re writing a classic American cinquain or a Crapsey cinquain.
You only need to know about stresses if you’re specifically interested in writing a Crapsey cinquain. , This could be anything you want to write about.
It could be playful, funny, serious, or sad — it’s up to you.
In this example, the topic will be an evil cat who has fallen asleep on you and just woken up from his nap.
Maybe this is a metaphor for someone who feels great anxiety when they wake up each day.
Perhaps the cat is a metaphor for the sunlight shining in through the curtains in the morning as you lie in bed. , Cinquain poems don’t need to be titled, but Crapsey always titled hers.If you’re writing a Crapsey Cinquain, you’ll need to title yours.
In this example, the title is “Lucifer Rises”. , Your first line must have 2 syllables.
One of those syllables must be stressed.
E.g. “You see” Note that “see” is the stressed syllable here. , This line must have 4 syllables.
Two of those syllables must be stressed.
E.g. “His back arch up” Note that “back” and “up” are the stressed syllables here. , This line must have 6 syllables.
Three of those syllables must be stressed.
E.g. “His claws, they dig so deep” Note that “claws”, “dig” and “deep” are the stressed syllables here. , This line must have 8 syllables.
Four of those syllables must be stressed.
E.g. “You tense, he yawns, your stomach tears” Note that “tense”, “yawns”, “stom” (as in STOMach), and “tears” are the stressed syllables here. , This line is like the first line.
It has only 2 syllables.
Of those syllables, only 1 syllable should be stressed.
E.g. “He grins” Note that “grins” is the stressed syllable here. , Give your poem a read and make sure it meets the metric requirements of a Crapsey cinquain.
Here is a breakdown of the syllables and stresses (capitalized) of each line of our sample poem:
Line 1:
You SEE
- 2 syllables, 1 stress Line 2:
His BACK arch UP
- 4 syllables, 2 stresses Line 3:
His CLAWS, they DIG so DEEP
- 6 syllables, 3 stresses Line 4:
You TENSE, he YAWNS, your STOMach TEARS
- 8 syllables, 4 stresses Line 5:
He GRINS
- 2 syllables, 1 stress , ”Lucifer Rises” You see His back arch up His claws, they dig so deep You tense, he yawns, your stomach tears He grins , American cinquains are much more flexible than Crapsey ones.
Generally an American cinquain will follow a 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 2 syllabic count, but there are variations on this.For example, the “Word Cinquain” follows this structure:
Line 1 = 1 word; Line 2 = 2 words; Line 3 = 3 words; Line 4 = 4 words; Line 5 = 1 word.For the purposes of this example, we’ll follow the more common style that focuses on syllables. , This could be anything that interests you.
It can be funny, sad, serious, satirical — whatever you want.
In our example, we’ll compare school to a giant monster who wants to eat us.
A title isn’t necessary, but we’ll add one in our example.
The title will be “Schoolhouse”. , Your first line must have 2 syllables.
It can be one or two words.
Line 1 e.g., ”Gaping” , Your second line can have as many words as you want in it, but they have to add up to 4 syllables.
This means you’ll have 1 to 4 words max in this line, depending on how many syllables each word contains.
Line 2 e.g., “Its mouth awaits” , Your third line can have as many words as you want in it, but they need to add up to 6 syllables.
This could be anywhere from 1 to 6 words.
Curious about what words might contain 6 syllables? Capitalization and encyclopedia are two examples.Line 3 e.g., “Hungry, slowly chomping” , Again, the amount of words isn’t as important as the amount of syllables in this line.
You need to have 8 syllables in line
4.
This can be anywhere from 1 to 8 words.
Most 8-syllable words might be difficult to fit into a poem, but it can still be fun trying.
Here are a couple of examples of 8-syllable words: heteronormativity and indecipherability.Line 4 e.g., “Stumble in, consumed, digesting” , This is your final line, and it will mirror your first line.
It can be either 1 or 2 words, but it needs to be 2 syllables.
Line 5 e.g., “Learning” , Give your poem a read and make sure it meets criteria of whatever cinquain you’re writing, whether it be a syllable-based one or a word-based one.
Here’s how our example breaks down (note the hyphens to mark syllables):
Line 1:
Gap-ing (2 syllables) Line 2:
Its mouth a-waits (4 syllables) Line 3:
Hun-gry, slow-ly chomp-ing (6 syllables) Line 4:
Stum-ble in, con-sumed, di-gest-ing (8 syllables) Line 5:
Learn-ing (2 syllables) , “Schoolhouse” Gaping Its mouth awaits Hungry, slowly chomping Stumble in, consumed, digesting Learning
About the Author
Diane Sullivan
A passionate writer with expertise in creative arts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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