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Hello everyone and a special greeting to our USA friends – Happy Thanksgiving!

For today’s poetry form, we will focus on Quintain, sometimes called a Quintet.  This is a poem or stanza with five lines.  It can follow any meter or line length. The Limerick and Cinquain are well-known examples of a Quintain.

Specifically, we will get acquainted with English quintain and 16th century Spanish quintain, also known as quintilla.  These poems follow a rhyme scheme, but the pattern depends on the style. Let’s take a closer look at each quintain.

English Quintain

*The rhyme scheme for English quintains is usually A-B-A-B-B.

*There is no set measure or foot (the number and type of syllables or feet).

*Quintains work well in long poems like ballads.

Here’s an excerpt from “Ode to a Skylark,” by Percy Bysshe Shelley:

In the golden lightning

Of the sunken sun,

O’er which clouds are bright’ning,

Thou dost float and run,

Like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun.

Spanish Quintain (Quintilla)

 

*These lines are usually eight syllables, or iambic tetrameter.

*The rhyming scheme varies, but there are never more than two consecutive lines that rhyme.

*There is a choice of rhyme schemes such as :  A-A-B-B-A and A-B-B-A-A and A-B-A-A-B and 

A-B-A-B-A

*When written as a decastich (2 quintillas), the verse is known as Copla Real.

Here’s an example of 1 Quintilla from Pat Bibbs:

A flickering flame, on the wall

The sound of a, coyotes call

The desert winds, singing at night

Sandstorms dancing, in the moonlight

Embracing lovers, to befall

Sources:  The Poets Garret  Spanish Quintain     English Quintain

                Examples of Quintain

Our challenge for today is to write a stanza or more of either English or Spanish Quintain.  If you thinking of what theme to write about, you may consider the topic, Desire and Sexuality, from Tuesday’s Poetics.  But really any topic is welcome as long as you write to the form.

For those new to this challenge, here are the steps to join in.
  1. Write a poem in either English or Spanish Quintain.    Link back to dVerse from your post so others know where to go if they want to participate.
  2. Once you have your post published, copy the link to your post and paste it in the Mister Linky below. The Mister Linky may ask you to accept its privacy terms and conditions to link up if you haven’t done so already.
  3. Check out the other posts linked with yours.  Reading and commenting is a way for us to get to know each other.
  4. Come back tomorrow and see what new links have appeared. The Mister Linky will be open for two days.

See you at the poetry trail – Grace.