A quintain or pentastich is any

poetic Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in a ...

form containing five lines. Examples include the

tanka is a genre of classical Japanese poetry and one of the major genres of Japanese literature. Etymology Originally, in the time of the ''Man'yōshū'' (latter half of the eighth century AD), the term ''tanka'' was used to distinguish "short poem ...

, the

cinquain Cinquain is a class of poetic forms that employ a 5-line pattern. Earlier used to describe any five-line form, it now refers to one of several forms that are defined by specific rules and guidelines. American cinquain The modern form, known as Am ...

, the

quintilla Quintilla (fl. 3rd century) was a Phrygian Christians, Christian prophetess within the movement known as Montanism. The sect of the Quintillians was named after her. Although her exact dates are unknown, Quintilla was probably not a contemporary ...

, Shakespeare's

Sonnet 99 Sonnet 99 is one of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare. It is a member of the Fair Youth sequence, in which the poet expresses his love towards a young man. The sonnet is generally grouped with the preced ...

, and the

limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

Examples

Sonnet 99 (first stanza)

The forward violet thus did I chide: Sweet thief, whence didst thou steal thy sweet that smells If not from my love’s breath? The purple pride Which on thy soft cheek for complexion dwells, In my love’s veins thou hast too grossly dyed. —

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Autumn Song

Know'st thou not at the fall of the leaf How the heart feels a languid grief Laid on it for a covering, And how sleep seems a goodly thing In Autumn at the fall of the leaf? And how the swift beat of the brain Falters because it is in vain, In Autumn at the fall of the leaf Knowest thou not? and how the chief Of joys seems—not to suffer pain? Know'st thou not at the fall of the leaf How the soul feels like a dried sheaf Bound up at length for harvesting, And how death seems a comely thing In Autumn at the fall of the leaf? —

Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti (), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhoo ...

The Corporal (extract)

Half of my youth I watched the soldiers And saw mechanic clerk and cook Subsumed beneath a uniform. Gray black and khaki was their look Whose tool and instrument was death. I watched them wheel on white parade grounds. How could the flesh have such control? Ballets with symmetry of the flower Outlined the aspect of a soul Whose pure precision was of death. —

Thom Gunn Thomson William "Thom" Gunn (29 August 1929 – 25 April 2004) was an English poet who was praised for his early verses in England, where he was associated with The Movement, and his later poetry in America, even after moving towards a looser, ...

Thom Gunn from "Jack Straw's Castle", Faber & Faber, 1976 ISBN 057111010X

References

External links

The Poet's Garret webpage.
List and description of five-line poetry forms {{DEFAULTSORT:Quintain(poetry) Stanzaic form Poetic forms fr:Quintil ja:五行連