Wednesday, November 14, 2018

To a Snowdrop

Galanthus nivalis.jpg



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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