Bondage
Dark, dangerous
succumbing, submitting, surrendering
We want this badly
Tonight
We’ve looked at the traditional cinquain in the past, but I don’t recall us looking at the modern cinquain. Whilst the traditional cinquain is based on a strict syllable count, the modern cinquain is based on particular types of words, as illustrated below.
line 1 – one word (noun) a title or name of the subject
line 2 – two words (adjectives) describing the title
line 3 – three words (verbs) describing an action related to the title
line 4 – four words describing a feeling about the title, a complete sentence
line 5 – one word referring back to the title of the poem
Did I ever mention the cinquain? I can’t recall if I’ve covered it on
here. And, even if I have, the cinquain is always worth revisiting.
Invented by Adelaide Crapsey, not a name that most would want associated with their poetry, the traditional cinquain is five lines of
effective syllable based poetry.
spanking
giggling groans
a ripe rosy red rump
cheerily cheeky chastised cheeks
pleasure
Note the syllable count for this form:
Line one =
2 x syllables
Line two =
4 x syllables
Line three = 6 x syllables
Line four =
8 x syllables
Line five =
2 x syllables
Note also that the last line refers back to the first line, to give the
poem its cyclical feel.
oral
lips against lips
licks, kisses and nibbles
your scent, your taste, your sweet flavour
you’re mine
There are different interpretations of the cinquain, each one perfectly
valid. But I do love the rigidity of the traditional form. As always, if you
fancy sharing your cinquain in the comments box below, I’ll look forward to
reading your work.
As I’ve mentioned
before, when I’m teaching creative writing, I tend to return to poetry
exercises. Writing to the restraints of a strict poetic form requires a degree
of mental discipline. Limited numbers of syllables, or the need for rephrasing
to meet the demands of a rhyme scheme, often encourages writers to think about
words in ways that aren’t familiar to those who focus solely on prose writing.
Which is my way of
saying that I’ve got another poetry assignment for those brave enough to rise
to the challenge. This month I thought we could look at the cinquain.
The cinquain is a five
line poetic form that can be attempted in one of two ways. The traditional form
is based on a syllable count as illustrated below.
line 1 – 2 syllables
line 2 – 4 syllables
line 3 – 6 syllables
line 4 – 8 syllables
line 5 – 2 syllables
Naked
Two lithe bodies
Press kisses together
Swift sigh moan shriek roar yes Yes YES!
Sated
For those who like to break away from
tradition, the modern form of the cinquain is not dependent on such
devices as counting syllables.
I strongly advocate exercises like this as the perfect way to preface any
bout of writing. Athletes tell us we should never participate in sports without
first doing some form of warm-up exercise. Musicians practice scales before
performing. Doesn’t it make sense that a writer should practice their craft
before teasing the right words onto the page?
If you have the time to try writing a cinquain, either traditional or
modern, please leave your poem(s) in the comments box below. It’s always good
to read fresh work inspired by these exercises and I hope you have fun with
this one.
From Adam & Eve - Based on the Book by New York Times Bestselling Authors Selena Kitt
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