L'Adieu

Analysis (ai): "L'Adieu" by Apollinaire is a haunting poem of loss and remembrance. The speaker gathers a sprig of heather, a symbol of the dead autumn season and fading love. The repetition of "souviens-t'en" ("remember") emphasizes the speaker's desire to preserve the memory of his lost love.

Compared to Apollinaire's other works, this poem exhibits his characteristic fragmentation and use of everyday objects as symbols. The simple, concise language and brevity are typical of his later style.

The poem reflects the disillusionment and existential angst that characterized the post-World War I era. The speaker's sense of loss and longing for a past that can never be regained echoes the collective trauma and uncertainty of the time.