In its simplest form, Crapsey’s ciquain follows a syllabic pattern of 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 2.
Row | Words | Content |
---|---|---|
1 | 1 | A thought, an object, a colour, a smell or the like |
2 | 2 | What does the word from the first row do? |
3 | 3 | Where or how is the word of row 1? |
4 | 4 | What do you mean? |
5 | 1 | Conclusion: What results from all this? What is the outcome? |
Here is the way the cinquain is taught in schools. The purpose is generally “to help learners stretch and develop their creative writing skills in a structured formula while reviewing parts of speech.” Instead of syllables, it uses word count, so it looks just a lot like the elevenie.
Here is a cinquain of Crapsey’s. Note that it follows none of the conventions described above.
Niagara
Seen on a Night in November
How frail
Above the bulk
Of crashing water hangs,
Autumnal, evanescent, wan,
The moon.
I really don’t understand how this beautiful poetic form morphed into a tool for teaching parts of speech. Suffice it to say that in calling this poem a “German cinquain,” I was not very excited and a bit nervous about this challenge. At first, I tried to tell a story with my poems, but that approach generally didn’t work for me. I also played around with adding German words. I wrote a lot of crap, but I also wrote a few poems I’m relatively pleased with. I’m sharing three poems, and because I like to break the rules, one of them is a reverse elfchen (1-4-3-2-1). The first poem is about my dad.
Gesundheit!
Our answer
to his loud,
full-bodied, and thunderous
sneezes
Peace?
Not yet.
Some say never.
Pray. Don’t lose faith.
Hope.
Truths—
Climate change is real.
Life is short.
I love
you.
Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2023. All rights reserved.
You can read the pieces written by my Poetry Sisters at the links below.
Do take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Michelle Kogan. Happy poetry Friday, friends!
#Poetry #Sisters #Write #Elfchen
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