If you avoid some poetry forms due to their complex rules, the cinquain (Sin-Kane) could be perfect for you! Today, I’m sharing a fall cinquain and the simple rules with the hope you’ll grab your Poetry Pop Journal and take this Poetry Pop Challenge to write one too.

Cinquain Structure

Cinquains usually describe something with vivid imagery and are meant to convey a specific mood or emotion. The traditional cinquain follows a very specific syllable count on each of its five lines:

• Line 1: Two syllables (the subject of the poem)
• Line 2: Four syllables (describing the subject)
• Line 3: Six syllables (describing an action related to the subject)
• Line 4: Eight syllables (a feeling or observation about the subject)
• Line 5: Two syllables (a single word that renames or summarizes the subject)

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Let’s break down an example. Say you’re writing a cinquain about your dog.

My dog (2 syllables) 
Furry best friend (4 syllables)
Playing fetch in the park (6 syallables)
Always happy to see me home (8 syllables)
Good boy (2 syllables)

My Fall Cinquain

Flamboyant Friend

Birch tree
Flamboyant friend
Dressed in vibrate colors
Shamelessly disrobes to birdsong
Bare tree

©Danna Smith, from Born of Orange Blossoms 2025. All rights reserved.

Now it’s your turn

See how it works? The first line introduces the topic, the second and third lines add more details and action, the fourth line gets a bit more personal or descriptive, and the final line wraps it all up with a new name for the subject. I’d love to hear your fall cinquain. If you are feeling brave, please share it with us in the comments below.

If you enjoyed this poem, you might like my poetry book of seasonal poems, Born of Orange Blossoms, which beautifully captures the essence of nature’s cycles and the emotions they evoke.

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