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Quintain (English)

An English Quintain, sometimes called a Quintet, is any form of poetry that consists of five lines; hence the "quint" in quintain.

A quintain does not have a specific length for each line. It can be as short or as long as the poet likes. The rhyme scheme of an English quintain is a/b/a/b/b. The most well-known and common form of quintains is actually a limerick.

A quintain is beautiful in its simplicity and is most enjoyed by the humor in limericks, but it does not have a specific theme that needs to be followed. A quintain can be romantic, dramatic, as well as humorous. There is no limit to what topic a quintain can be used to write. 

Examples

To a Skylark

HAIL to thee, blithe spirit!
Bird thou never wert,
That from heaven, or near it,
Pourest thy full heart
In profuse strains of unpremeditated art.

Types of Quintains


Related Information

More Quintain (English) Links



Book: Shattered Sighs