A stanza or poem of five lines, often used in poetry where the structure follows a specific pattern of syllables or stresses.
From French cinquain, from Old French cinq (five). Emerged in Renaissance French poetry and adopted into English in the early 20th century, popularized by Adelaide Crapsey.
The American poet Adelaide Crapsey invented a specific type of cinquain with strict syllable counts (2-4-6-8-10 syllables) that became so popular it's now the main definition—she created a poetic form that rivals haiku.
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