The Fate Of The Flimflam

By Eugene Field

Cinquain
    A flimflam flopped from a fillamaloo,     Where the pollywog pinkled so pale,     And the pipkin piped a petulant "pooh"     To the garrulous gawp of the gale.     "Oh, woe to the swap of the sweeping swipe     That booms on the hobbling bay!"     Snickered the snark to the snoozing snipe     That lurked where the lamprey lay.     The gluglug glinked in the glimmering gloam,     Where the buzbuz bumbled his bee--     When the flimflam flitted, all flecked with foam,     From the sozzling and succulent sea.     "Oh, swither the swipe, with its sweltering sweep!"     She swore as she swayed in a swoon,     And a doleful dank dumped over the deep,     To the lay of the limpid loon!

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem is a delightful exploration of whimsical language that borders on the nonsensical, reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky". The poem employs a playful, almost irreverent tone, creating a buoyant rhythm through the use of alliteration and rhymed verse. Despite its seemingly nonsensical words, the poem maintains a consistent rhythm and meter, which lends an inherent musicality to the piece.

Thematically, the poem seems to center around the interaction and interplay of fantastical, invented creatures in an equally fantastical landscape. It's a celebration of the absurd and the power of language to create vivid, albeit nonsensical, imagery. The idiosyncratic vocabulary doesn't inhibit the poem but instead invites readers to embrace the unfamiliar, delighting in the sound and rhythm of words rather than their conventional meaning. In terms of literary devices, the poet's use of onomatopoeia and neologism, alongside alliteration, creates a unique auditory experience. The poem revels in the sheer joy of language, reminding us that poetry can be as much about the sounds, rhythms, and textures of words as it is about their meaning.

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.