Life in Cinquain form.

On By Baydreamer - Lauren ScottIn Poetry, Writing

I found this form of Cinquain poetry and decided to give it a try. I’m sharing eight poems and would love to hear if any of them resonate or stand out for you. Don’t be shy. Some are serious and some are simply fun.
The rules are:

Didactic Cinquain Poem Form 1:

This is a very popular form of cinquain that instead of incorporating stress and syllables, it uses word counts.

  • The first line is one word which is the title of the poem.
  • The second line contains two words which are adjectives that describe the title.
  • The third line has three words that tell the reader more about the subject of the poem or show action. Many times these words are gerunds that end with -ing.
  • The fourth line has four words that show emotions about the subject of the poem and may be individual words or a phrase.
  • The fifth line is one word that is a synonym of the title or is very similar to it.

And now for the poems and some of my photos:

Emotions

Emotions
Raw, hurtful
Aching, reeling, falling
Catches you by surprise
Reactions

Pain

Pain
Throbs, shocks
Stabbing, stinging, smarting
Halts activities like lightning
Agony

Perceptions

Perceptions
False, clouded
Mystifying, troubling, startling
Causes heartbeat to slow
Impressions

These beauties are from our yard, but they line the road on my way to work
which inspired the poem.

Poppies

Poppies
Bright, cheerful
Swaying, smiling, waving
As I drive by
Blooms

Rainwater

Rainwater
Cool, necessary
Refreshing, quenching, soothing
Brings life to nature
Precipitation

Summertime

Summertime
Warm, colorful
Swimming, relaxing, vacationing
Get outdoors and play
Solstice

Books

Books
Stories, poetry
Compelling, transporting, entertaining
Turning pages is exciting
Paperbacks

Music

Music
Songs, instruments
Playing, singing, listening
Dancing the night away
Melody

And a more personal reflection…

Music

Music
Choir, piano
Harmonizing, recording, performing
Reveling in the spotlight
Entertainment

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great Thursday!

~ Lauren ❤️

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.

74 thoughts on “Life in Cinquain form.”

  5. Hi Lauren! The poems about summer and poppies were lovely, and the ones about music and books I enjoyed, I really related to the ones about pain and agony and emotions though. Xx

    Reply

  9. Perceptions was the first one to stop me in my tracks, so well done. Then Poppies, I love poppies, and you captured the essence perfectly. And then your rainwater one made me pause and just appreciate all the rain we received this year. And of course books! These are fun. I might have to try one. Hugs, C

    Reply

    1. Thanks for not being shy, Cheryl! 🙂 I loved reading your thoughts. The first two tie into current life, unfortunately, but hey, there’s always a poem waiting to be written. And I’m so glad you like Poppies; I love them, and to see them on my way to work is a good way to start the day. Rainwater obviously was about the times before all the rain this year. I only hope our summer is mild. We live in the bay area too. And I had a hunch that Books would be well-liked by most. Thanks again, and you should try these. ❤️🤗

      Reply

  15. Wow Lauren!
    First I thought the first one was the best. And I kept reading and could not stop thinking how great each one was, the way we can relate to them or the way it felt to read them.
    You made me want having a try at them. Let’s see!
    Thank you for the sharing and inspiration. 😊

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much for your wonderful comment, Marie. I love your energy in how you reacted to all the poems. This form was fun to try, so you should try. They’re short and sweet but packed with emotion, visuals, and action. Similar to a haiku, but focusing on word count instead of syllables. I’m glad you enjoyed, my friend. Hugs! 🌸

      Reply

  18. Your Didactic cinquain are lovely, and much easier to write than the original Crapsey cinquain! This form is a spin off of Adelaide Crapsey’s cinquain (a stanza of five lines of accentual verse, in which the lines comprise, in order, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 1 stresses— those iambic feet drive me crazy). I like the American cinquain (2-4-6-8-2 syllable count) no Iambic feet. It’s a great form. There are many variations on the form as well. I’m glad you had fun experimenting with the cinquain. It’s one of my favorite forms. 💜

    Reply

      1. LOL! We all use a syllable counter to count those syllables for us. I like the challenge of finding the right word. It’s like a word puzzle. Thanks for sharing. In fact, I shared your post with Yvette. It would be a great form for her students!

      2. I’m a novice, Colleen, because I don’t use a syllable counter. I’ve never heard of them. 🙂 But you’re the expert on syllabic poetry, which is why you’re more in tune. I write more freestyle, but I do enjoy trying new forms now and then. This form will also be included in my upcoming book as each section will end with syllabic poems. Which Yvette are you referring to? And that’s great! This form is easy and fun. 🥰

      4. Oh, this is great! Thanks, Colleen! My fingers will get a rest! 😂😂 And thanks for letting me know which Yvette. She is so sweet and has just recently began to follow me and always leaves wonderful comments. It’s great to meet new like-minded people in this warm community. Thanks for the applause too! 💖

    1. Wow, thanks, Balroop! I actually feel the same in finding syllabic poetry challenging, which is probably why I don’t share them as often as you do. Your beautiful poems make them look so easy to write. But it’s good for the brain to give it a challenge now and then. By the way, in my prior post, https://baydreamerwrites.com/2023/05/10/to-the-quail-we-go/, I referenced your poem, “The Last Kiss.” I don’t know if you saw it or not. 🤗

      Reply

      1. Thank you Lauren, I am sorry, I’ve been quite busy with the events going around me and didn’t get a chance to read all the posts. Thanks for the link.

    1. I’m not surprised the music poems resonated with you, Charlotte. Music was a big part of my high school and college years, wonderful memories. And I love those poppies too. Thank you for sharing and have a great weekend. 🌺

      Reply

  23. These are lovely little poems, whatever their structure.
    They reflect your love of nature and the arts.
    Thank you!

    Lol! A little brain flash from this post….
    Not enough people stop to smell the roses, listen to “Guns & Roses” or live “La Vie en Rose”.

    Obviously I’m not a poet. xx

    Reply

  24. Spectacular stuff here Lauren. I really love the poems here ranging from books, to music, pain, emotions and perceptions as well as others🔥🔥🔥💯

    Also, I have said this before, you are very talented as a Poet. Very creative and I notice in your writings, let me recite my own poem

    Lauren
    Lauren
    Lenient, Laughable
    Creatively looking for poetry
    Mindful and clever
    Poetry by Lauren is literally the best💯

    Reply

    1. Mthobisi, your words make my day. You are so kind! I’m glad you enjoyed this post with the various poems. There is something for everyone here. And I love your poem. I’m honored by your kind and lovely words. Truly I am! Thank you so much, and I wish you a wonderful day, my friend. 🙏🏻

      Reply

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