English Sparrow Poems

Catullus 2 and 3, the poems in which he first envies Lesbia's sparrow and then laments its death, have fascinated literary greats as well as ordinary readers through the centuries.  

Edna St. Vincent Millay, (1892-1950), the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, wrote an elegant Dear John letter reminiscent in poetic beauty of Catullus himself. Perhaps, though, the sentiment is more reminiscent of Lesbia.   Notice that Millay has used the first half of line 3 of Catullus' poem 3 as her title. The first line of Millay's poem is a free translation of line 13 of Catullus 3.  

Passer Mortuus Est

by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Death devours all lovely things: Lesbia with her sparrow

Shares the darkness—presently Every bed is narrow.

Unremembered as old rain Dries the sheer libation;

And the little petulant hand Is an annotation.  

After all, my erstwhile dear My no longer cherished,

Need we say it was not love Just because it perished?    

Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was an American writer and poet best known for her caustic wit, which she often used to highlight human folly.   In this poem she creates a character for Lesbia which Catullus' poetry leads us to believe could well have been true to life.  

From a Letter From Lesbia

by Dorothy Parker

...So, praise the gods, at last he’s away!

And let me tend you this advice, my dear:

Take any lover that you will, or may,

Except a poet. All of them are queer.  

It’s just the same—a quarrel or a kiss Is but a tune to play upon his pipe.

He’s always hymning that or wailing this;

Myself, I much prefer the business type.  

That thing he wrote, the time the sparrow died—

(Oh, most unpleasant—gloomy, tedious words!)

I called it sweet, and made believe I cried;

The stupid fool! I’ve always hated birds...

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