Poetry: December 14, 2005 Issue [#772]
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Poetry


 This week:
  Edited by: John~Ashen Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

Poetry! It comes in all styles and meanings. Some poems express personal feelings; others demonstrate a particular pattern. Most of us write some combination in between. I'll be offering advice on different styles and pointing out techniques to improve your poems. Enjoy *Delight* --John~Ashen Author Icon


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Letter from the editor

Cinquains

         Pardon my terrible French, but "cinq" is French for "five" I think. *Smile* You shouldn't be surprised to learn, then, that a cinquain poem is comprised of five lines.

         I've never written a cinquain, but at a glance I can tell a few things. They're short and take little time to write. There's a well-defined pattern for the structure, so you won't pull your hair out thinking of what to do next. This makes it a good poem format to write with kids, or have them write one.

         On to the rules...
         *Bullet*The first line is the one-word title and subject of the poem.
         *Bullet*The second line consists of two words describing the subject.
         *Bullet*The third line has three words expressing action for the subject.
         *Bullet*The fourth line is a four-word feeling or thought about the subject. This line has the most freedom.
         *Bullet*The fifth line is a one-word synonym for the title. This usually puts the spin on the subject that you wanted them to understand in the 4th line.

Template:

Subject
primary descriptive
acting and reacting
Wonder what it means
topic


Example:

Cheese
creamy, piquant,
teasing my tongue...
None can resist this
heaven!


Example:

Recess
afternoon freedom
running, yelling, enjoying
while Mom takes rest
relaxing


I have also seen double cinquains using twice the normal syllables. So, instead of 1-2-3-4-1, you might encounter (or take the poetic license of using) a 2-4-6-8-2 pattern. Bon soir! *Bigsmile*


Editor's Picks

Some cinquains I found on the site:
 Untitled Open in new Window. [E]
Short poem/cinquain
by xaipete Author Icon
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by A Guest Visitor
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by A Guest Visitor
 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor
 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor
 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor

 
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Ask & Answer

victoria Andre'a Author Icon asks: I've always wondered about written poetry and spoken poetry, is there a difference?

Answer: Written poetry depends on meter to flow properly in the reader's mind. Spoken poetry relies more on rhythm as delivered by the speaker. A lot of poetry on this site seems prosaic until you hear it from the author's mouth (like that of Eliot Author Icon at the Writing.Com conventions). One popular oral poetry format is Def Jam which relies heavily on alliteration, internal rhyme, and pop culture references. Written poetry will be much more traditional but may eventually evolve to incorporate some of the advances made by the fast-changing spoken variety. Also consider that songs are poetry. Their lyrics try to romance your ears, though, generally not your intellect.

goodolenad asks: Hi, I'm an amateur poet, but I would love it if someone would seriously give me some hard-core critiques. Is it possible?

Answer: The quick and easy answer: forums. At the top left of your Writing.Com screen is the Site Navigation menu. In the first box ("Item Jumps"), select the "Request Reviews" option. This will take you to a page full of forums run by users who are eager to nitpick your items. Any site member could send you flowery reviews, but these review forum authors are willing to be more outspoken with their opinions! *Smile*


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