Cinquains & Connotations
plus Parodies & Personification
Last week, I taught about cinquains, connotations, parodies, and personification in both of my English classes. Their assignment was to write a cinquain using Adelaide Crapsey's formula, which contains a total of twenty-two syllables divided into five lines as follows:
2, 4, 6, 8, and then ends with another 2-syllable line.
While their assignment did not require using a particular connotation, we also discussed how word choices change the connotation, the perception, of the work.
An example of cinquain utilizing positive connotations is
"The Pearl" by Avis Harley
Inside
An oyster shell
Glows a drop of moonlight,
Polished by the stars when it fell
Through the night.
My poem is meant to be a parody of Harley's using negative connotations of how that beautiful pearl is created:
"Beautiful Irritants" by Giselle Ates
(January 13, 2013)
Itching,
Oysters can't scratch
Or remove grains of sand;
By covering their irritants,
Pearls form.
Another one of my cinquains using negative connotations is
"Self-Control" by Giselle Ates
(January 2014)
Quiet
Only breathing
Silent thoughts screaming--No!
Release me! Unleash me! Right now!
Control.
My older students were required to use personification in their cinquains. Personification is simply making something that is not human seem human.
Here are a few of their cinquains from January 2014. Which ones do you think captured both Adelaide Crapsey's cinquain form and the literary technique of personification?
“Majestic Mountains” by Campbell Christian (10th grade)
Mountains
With white snow caps
Rest and gaze toward God,
Firmly planted so all may see
The King!
"The Ninth Hour" by Miryam Gabriel (11th grade)
Listen!
Loud the clouds speak
Of yon man's death upon a tree.
They say He dies for you and me
In shame.
"Crucify" by Miryam Gabriel (11th grade)
Jesus,
Son of Joseph,
And of the Most High God,
Did stand and face the cries of men:
"Crucify!"
"Spring Sings" by Dorie Chen (11th grade)
Listen
How the birds sing
Trees start to awaken,
Green emerges from its slumber,
Springtime.
“The Love of the Sun” by Abby Dover (11th grade)
Speaking…
The sun loves me
Unconditionally.
It never ever runs away.
Warm up!
“Spring” by Emily Baggett (5th grade)
Sunshine
A Light breeze blows
Newly blooming flowers
Decorating the green meadow
In spring.
“The Forest” by Parker Stockett (10th grade)
Observe.
Eyes wide and clear
See giants live and dead
Towering kings against the sky
They watch.
“Black Death” by Jonah Edwards (10th grade)
Black Death
The end is near.
The reaper approaches.
It’s time at last; my days are done.
The end.
"Quiet, Silent" by Jonah Edwards (10th grade)
Shadows
Quiet, silent
Watching me constantly
They know my thought and mimic me
Shadows
"Holes" by Jonah Edwards (10th grade)
Cat claws
They leave their marks
Making holes in my skin
Red liquid starts to seep and leak
Felines
“Luck” by Jonah Edwards (10th grade)
Good Luck
Clovers, horseshoes
Rabbits and pitch, black cats
Ladders, mirrors and umbrellas
Bad Luck
“Swim All Day” by Talei Brown (4th grade)
Swimming
Incredible
Free, happy, amazing,
Challenging deeper and deeper
Such fun.
“My Sisters” by Talei Brown (4th grade)
Sisters—
I love them so.
They make people happy.
And what will I be without them?
Alone.
“Art” by Talei Brown (4th grade)
Great fun!
Sculpting, painting,
Recycling my stuff.
What will I create all alone?
Don’t know.
"Friendship" by Talei Brown (4th grade)
Friendship
It is so great
Showing it is easy
It's really nice to friendship
Really
"Monster Mystery" by Amelia Cline (4th grade--April 2015)
Monster
No one sees it
Hiding in the water
Only fuzzy pictures taken
Lochness