五行诗(Cinquain,来自法文的五),是指每段由五个诗行组成的诗歌。有时也用来特指美国五行诗(见下)。
西方古典文学中的五行诗押韵规律一般为ababb,如罗勃特·勃朗宁的"Porphyria's Lover":
Murmuring how she loved me -- she
Too weak, for all her heart endeavour,
To set its struggling passion free
From pride, and vainer ties dissever,
And give herself to me for ever.
美国诗人Adelaide Crapsey(英语:Adelaide Crapsey)(1878–1914)受俳句等日本诗歌的启发,创造了一种无韵的简单五行诗体,每行分别有2-4-6-8-2个音节,一共22个音节。此称为传统五行诗,后来通过卡尔·桑德堡等其他美国诗人的作品而得到推广。例如Crapsey的五行诗"Triad":
These be
Three silent things:
The falling snow... the hour
Before the dawn... the mouth of one
Just dead.
the judge who wonders should your fate
abate.
后来又有人发展出一种更简单的五行诗体,称为现代五行诗: