Avis by Adelaide Crapsey is a poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the delicate beauty of the world. Known for her innovative cinquain form, Crapsey captures a moment of quiet observation, where a bird becomes a symbol of both freedom and fragility. The poem’s compact structure mirrors the brevity of life itself, emphasizing the tension between existence and the inevitability of death. Crapsey’s precise language and keen attention to detail reveal her deep connection to the natural world, making Avis a timeless meditation on transience and beauty.
Avis by Adelaide Crapsey
Avis, the fair, at dawn
Rose lightly from her bed,
Herself arrayed,
Avis, the fait, the maid,
In vestiment of lawn;
Across the fields she sped,
Five flowerets there she found,
In fragrant garland wound,
Avis, the fair, ar dawn,
Five roses red.
Go thou from thence of thy pity!
Thou lov’st not me.
