Today’s prompt was to play with the meaning behind someone’s name. Adelaide Crapsey (1878-1914) seems to be little known as a poet, which is a real shame considering the poetic form she invented (the cinquain) is still so widely used - often as a method of teaching children to write poems, if the haiku has been exhausted! (Hers were a lot more elegant than many written today, and often mentioned death. Any time-pressed teen goth poet who likes Plath should definitely check her out.)

I’ve seen it mooted that it could be down to her slightly unfortunate surname that she’s now somewhat obscure. Adelaide, however, means ‘nobility’. So here’s a cinquain as tribute to its inventor.

Adelaide Crapsey

Her name,

if remembered,

is judged unfortunate –

yet few can achieve the grace of

her form.