Saturday, August 31, 2019

Dissonance


Read "Dissonance" at The Eldritch Dark:


I'm always impressed by the strong musicality present in the work of Clark Ashton Smith (CAS), and in this wonderful sonnet, the poet uses references to specific musical instruments (among other elements) to lend a physical dimension to the aural aspect of the clamour he so richly describes.

Although there is a lot to admire in this sonnet, I find myself completely captivated by the final line of the opening octet: "And sigh of swords withdrawing from the wound".  Not only is the description of this particular sound convincing and evocative, but CAS makes masterful use of internal rhymes based on the letters "s" and "w" to give the line a perfect rhythm based on common iambic pentameter.


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