Evening

This is another early poem by Clark Ashton Smith (CAS) that is not available on The Eldritch Dark, so I'll begin with the poem itself:

The tumult and the glare of day
With setting sun have died away;
All lands, all scenes, in silence lie
'Neath twinkling stars that gem the sky.
A holy calm o'er land and sea
Enshrouding all in mystery
Has dropped as though a Genii king
With magic word had bade each thing
To cease, and with the veil of night
All earth had hidden from our sight.


This little poem has a much more serene feeling than the dream-related poems by CAS that I have been reading recently.  It could almost be a lullaby, easing the reader into the end of the day and the eventual onset of sleep.

Reading this reminds me of the impressive scope of CAS' poetic achievements.  Comparing "Evening" to better-known works such as "Nero" and "The Hashish-Eater" reveals great contrasts in temperament and style, but also reveals similarities in terms of craftsmanship and technique.