Cyclamen

By Robert Fuller Murray

Cinquain
    I had a plant which would not thrive,          Although I watered it with care,          I could not save the blossoms fair,     Nor even keep the leaves alive.     I strove till it was vain to strive.          I gave it light, I gave it air,          I sought from skill and counsel rare     The means to make it yet survive.     A lady sent it me, to prove          She held my friendship in esteem;                 I would not have it as she said,     I wanted it to be for love;          And now not even friends we seem,                 And now the cyclamen is dead.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
The poem under consideration is a poignant exploration of unrequited love and the inevitable decay that occurs when one's feelings are not reciprocated. It adopts the metaphor of a dying plant to reflect the speaker's fruitless efforts in nurturing a relationship that was not meant to flourish. The plant symbolizes a love that, despite the speaker's best efforts, wilts under the weight of unfulfilled desires.

The poem is structured in three quatrains with a consistent rhyme scheme, reflecting a strong sense of order that contrasts with the emotional disorder the speaker experiences. The tone is one of melancholy and resignation, heightened by the repeated attempts to revitalize the plant - a clear metaphor for the speaker's attempts to stir reciprocal feelings in the object of his affection.

The poet skillfully employs the literary device of pathetic fallacy, attributing human emotions to the plant, to emphasize the speaker's emotional turmoil. The final line, "And now the cyclamen is dead," is particularly poignant, signaling not only the death of the plant but the end of the speaker's hopes for a romantic relationship. This masterful interplay of theme, tone, structure and literary devices creates a deeply moving narrative of unrequited love.

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.