Here is another early poem by Clark Ashton Smith (CAS) not published in his lifetime, and not available on The Eldritch Dark, so I'll begin with the text itself:
Dainty flower, snowy-white,
Shrinking modestly from sight,
Here within the woodland's heart,
As a lantern shaped thou art--
Such a lamp as elf or fay
Bear to light them on their way
To some dell where in a ring
At midnight, they dance and sing.
As with "To A Mariposa Lily", which I read yesterday, this is a fairly straightforward poem in honor of a particular floral species. As can be seen from the photo above, CAS' characterization of the snowdrop as being "lantern shaped" is spot on, and his whimsical invocation of a fairy dance is charming and just a little bit magical.
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