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Cinquain (Crapsey)

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Adelaide Crapsey’s modernist five-line form with a 2-4-6-8-2 syllable pattern, unrhymed and evocative of Japanese haiku.

Detailed Definition
The Crapsey cinquain is a five-line, unrhymed form devised by Adelaide Crapsey, structured by syllable count (2-4-6-8-2) and often employing iambic rhythm; it captures a single vivid impression or epiphany with haiku-like concision while allowing slightly more narrative or emotional development.
Example
Example in poetry:
Cinquain (Crapsey) follows strict syllable count: Crapsey’s “November Night” (“Listen… / With faint dry sound… / The leaves, frost-crisp’d…”); modern adaptations use stress instead of syllables; the form teaches concision and imagistic precision; Cinquain (Crapsey) appears in educational curricula worldwide; it bridges haiku and Western lyric traditions
Additional Notes
Five-line form: 2-4-6-8-2 syllables, no rhyme, created by Adelaide Crapsey. Emphasizes brevity and imagery. Often confused with other cinquains. Study: imagism, syllabic verse.
Also Known As
American cinquain Crapsey cinquain
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