What is a cinquain poem?

A cinquain poem is a type of poetry containing five lines. Reverse, Mirror, Butterfly, Crown and Garland are all variations of the modern American cinquain.

The first line of a cinquain poem usually contains only one word. The second line has two words and the third line has three words. The fourth line uses four words and the final line contains just one word. Other formats of a cinquain can contain varying numbers of syllables or different parts of speech. The American cinquain derives from Japanese haiku traditions. Adelaide Crapsey standardized the cinquain in her 1915 book "Verse." Due to its simplistic nature, teachers and parents commonly use it to introduce poetry writing to children.