Activity: Write a Cinquain

This week's activity focuses on using a form of a cinquain to convey the message. Using syllables or words, the form follows this pattern for each line: 2, 4, 6, 8, 2. Two cinquains, one flipped over and stacked on top of the other, may be used to create a butterfly cinquain, as well.

everyone finished

everyone finished
before me and i
felt uncomfortable which made me work
recklessly and i ended up with something inexplicably
half-baked ho-hum

Write a Cinquain

My graphic organizer on the whiteboard.

Wikipedia indicates that a cinquain is a poetic form that uses a 5-line pattern. There are different variations of the form, but we worked with the following structure:

Line 1: 2
Line 2: 4
Line 3: 6
Line 4: 8
Line 5: 2

Each line should include the number of syllables or, if that proved too difficult, words to include in each line. For an added twist, we added lines in reverse order to create a butterfly cinquain:

Line 1: 2
Line 2: 4
Line 3: 6
Line 4: 8
Line 5: 2
Line 6: 8
Line 7: 6
Line 8: 4
Line 9: 2

The explanation might not be clear, but, perhaps, by looking at what we made, it might become clearer.

Two Cinquains

her story

swallowed up whole collections

of stories words and other stuff

she just made everything her own little world

she did

and she made up her mind to return

none of it to its owner

she swallowed it all

and laughed

Students

& teachers learn

from each other often;

however, they don't often know

the time

it takes to realize the truth

or how much time it takes

or what it's worth

or not.

Fibonacci Sequence or Cinquain

Working on a Fibonacci Sequence.

This week, seven students and two instructors attended our meeting. Creative Writing Club members worked on Cinquains and Fibonacci Sequences. Each line in your response should have the corresponding number of syllables or words:

Cinquain
2, 4, 6, 8, 2

Or Butterfly Cinquain
2, 4, 6, 8, 2, 8, 6, 4, 2

Fibonacci Sequence
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, etc.

Do you have any ideas for the next meeting? Feel free to post your ideas here!