A Portrait

By Emily Elizabeth Dickinson

Cinquain
    A face devoid of love or grace,     A hateful, hard, successful face,     A face with which a stone     Would feel as thoroughly at ease     As were they old acquaintances, --     First time together thrown.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This six-line poem is marked by a bleak and perhaps cynical tone, as it explores themes of emotional isolation and the hardness that can result from success. The focus on the face as a reflection of inner state is a classic literary device, but the poet uses it in an intriguingly dark way, suggesting that the subject's face is not just unloving or ungraceful, but actively hateful and hard.

The structure of the poem is straightforward, but the use of enjambment, where sentences and ideas run over the line breaks, keeps the reader engaged and adds a certain momentum. A standout literary device here is the unusual and striking simile comparing the subject's face to a stone, suggesting a level of coldness and unresponsiveness that is more than merely human. The implication that this stone-face can make even another stone feel 'at ease' further emphasizes the subject's emotional isolation. This poem is a sharp, unsparing portrait of a person warped by an unfeeling pursuit of success.

Understanding Cinquain

A **cinquain** is a five-line poem prized for concentration and clarity. In English, it often follows the American syllabic pattern popularized by Adelaide Crapsey, but there are flexible variants used in classrooms and contemporary practice.

Common approaches and features:

  • Five Lines: The defining feature—compact form encourages vivid images and precise diction.
  • American Cinquain (Syllabic): Typical syllable counts per line: 2  / 4  / 6  / 8  / 2. Variants sometimes use 3/5/7/9/3 or loosen counts slightly.
  • Didactic Cinquain (Parts of Speech): A teaching-friendly pattern: Line 1—one noun; Line 2—two adjectives; Line 3—three verbs/participles; Line 4—a four-word phrase or feeling; Line 5—a synonym/summary noun.
  • Form Variants: Mirror cinquain (5+5 lines, the second in reverse counts), crown cinquain (a sequence of five cinquains), and free-verse adaptations.
  • Tone & Focus: Image-driven, momentary, and distilled—ideal for capturing a scene, object, or flash of insight.
  • Rhyme & Meter: Not required; sound comes from line-length contrast, stress, and strategic repetition.

The cinquain’s small frame invites exactness—each line a step that sharpens the image and lands with a clean, memorable close.