As I Went by Adelaide Crapsey

“As I Went” is a delicate and evocative poem written by Adelaide Crapsey, an American poet best known for her invention of the cinquain—a five-line poetic form inspired by Japanese haiku and tanka. Though not as widely known in the United Kingdom, her work is increasingly appreciated for its lyrical conciseness and poignant imagery.

In “As I Went”, Crapsey captures a fleeting moment of reflection and beauty through a minimalist lens. The poem is an example of her signature style—spare yet rich in atmosphere. Her words evoke a quiet sense of motion and observation, often linking natural elements with internal emotion.

This poem exemplifies Crapsey’s ability to distil profound emotion into just a few syllables, a trait that has garnered her posthumous respect as a master of poetic form. Her work often deals with themes of ephemerality, solitude, and mortality, shaped in part by her own struggles with illness and early death.

Though Crapsey’s poetry originates from early 20th-century America, it resonates with readers globally, including in Britain, for its quiet strength and formal innovation. “As I Went” is a fine example of how less can indeed be more in the hands of a skilled poet.

As I Went by Adelaide Crapsey

As I- went, as I- went

Over the mountains,

I heard, I heard,

Through cloud-wreath and mist,

A hound that was baying —

Death . . it was death.

As I- went, as I -went

Over the meadows,

I heard, I heard,

From thicket, from shadow,

A hidden bird fluting —

Death . . it was death.

As I -went, as I- went

By rocks and by sand-dunes,

I heard, I heard,

At the dea’s bottom

A silver fish swimming —

Death . . it was death.

As I went, as I went

In my house, in my house,

I heard, I heard,

A footfall, a footfall

Closely behind me —

Death . . it was death.