The Dark Eidolon and Other Fantasies (47 page)

“A Dream of Beauty.” First published in
Academy
(August
12
,
1911
); reprinted in
ST
and
SP.
Also printed in
A Collection of Verse by California Poets: From
1849
to
1915
,
ed. Augustin S. Macdonald (San Francisco: A. M. Robertson,
1914
), p.
54
.
Golden Atom
1
,
8
(May
1940
):
3
.

“The Star-Treader.” Written before October
6
,
1911
. Original title: “The Sun-Treader.” First published in
ST;
reprinted in
SP.
CAS said of the poem: “It was written in a mood of midsummer fantasy, and altogether to suit myself. It is frightfully irregular, both in thought and form, and probably a little obscure” (letter to GS, October
6
,
1911
;
SU
31
). GS said of it: “It's a magnificent thing wonderfully put, and (to me at least) not at all obscure, though it will be far over the heads of the many. I hardly know how to express myself about it, as I like one part about as well as another. But I
can
say that it's
great poetry”
(letter to CAS, December
21
,
1911
;
SU
34
).

“Retrospect and Forecast.” Written January
11
,
1912
. First published in the
San Francisco Call
(December
1
,
1912
); reprinted in
ST
and
SP.
The
ST
appearance was reprinted in
Current Opinion
54
, no.
2
(February
1913
):
150
. In a letter to GS (December
13
,
1912
), CAS notes a review of
ST
in the
San Jose Mercury
(December
8
,
1912
) in which the reviewer, John Jury, “speaks of the ‘sinister' and ‘ghoulish' qualities of much of my work, and particularly of the ‘vicious spirit' animating the sonnet ‘Retrospect and Forecast'” (
SU
74
). In the
1920
s CAS translated the poem into French (see
CPT
1
.
283
).

“Nero.” First published in
ST;
also in
OS
and
SP.
The poem is a monologue putatively spoken by Nero (Nero Claudius Caesar,
37
–
68
CE
), Emperor of Rome (
54
–
68
), who developed a reputation even in antiquity for his decadence and propensity to violence (he had his mother, Agrippina, killed in
59
). Facing a revolt from the Praetorian Guards, he committed suicide on June
9
,
68
. CAS said of the poem that “It is the emperor's soliloquy after he has watched the burning of Rome” (letter to GS, April
28
,
1912
;
SU
45
), which occurred in
64
. Suetonius (
Nero
38
) reports that Nero himself started the fire and sang an epic poem as Rome burned, but other historians dispute the assertion. When finishing the poem, CAS noted that “About four-fifths of it is prose, and not particularly good prose at that” (letter to GS, May
26
,
1912
;
SU
47
), but GS said of it, “I rank it higher even than your great odes. It has a maturity, a vertebration, a pertinancy and grasp beyond those other poems, and I'd give a reasonably-sized slice off one of my ears to have done anything so great for this many a year” (letter to CAS, June
6
,
1912
;
SU
48
). See Carl Jay Buchanan, “Clark Ashton Smith's ‘Nero'” (
FFT
124
–
31
).

“To the Daemon Sublimity.” Written
1912
. First published in
Fire and Sleet and Candlelight,
ed. August Derleth (Sauk City, WI: Arkham House,
1961
); reprinted in
SP.

“Averted Malefice.” First published in
ST;
reprinted in
SP.

“The Eldritch Dark.” First published in
ST;
reprinted in
SP.

“Shadow of Nightmare.” First published in
ST;
reprinted in
SP.

“Satan Unrepentant.” First published in
OS;
reprinted in
EC
and
SP.
CAS reports to GS (September
20
,
1912
) that “I think I'll write another dramatic lyric, somewhat like ‘Nero', with ‘Satan Unrepentant' for the title and subject. I've only the vaguest idea as to what it'll be like; but the subject seems rather promising” (
SU
64
). In sending the poem to GS on October
5
,
1912
, CAS noted that it “owes a certain deductible debt to John Milton, but is a somewhat more direct justification of the devil than ‘Paradise Lost.' It might have created a row fifty years ago; but I hardly think it would to-day. Still, such a poem seems to me worth writing, for I'm not aware that anything exactly of the same kind has been done” (
SU
66
). GS commented: “Your ‘Satan Unrepentant' seems to me a great and noble poem, and one which I would certainly force the magazines to refuse or accept” (letter to CAS, October
15
,
1912
;
SU
68
). Samuel Loveman spoke of the work enthusiastically: “If that poem doesn't cause comment and an instant valuation of its high qualities, then ‘Prometheus Unbound' is minor poetry and ‘Hyperion' a failure. I measure it with these” (letter to CAS, March
17
,
1918
; manuscript, JHL). CAS states that he sent it to the
English Review
and the
Atlantic Monthly
(
SU
76
), where it must have been rejected. See Phillip A. Ellis, “Satan Speaks: A Reading of ‘Satan Unrepentant'” (
FFT
132
–
37
).

“The Ghoul.” The manuscript is dated February
16
,
1913
. First published in
CPT.

“Desire of Vastness.” First published in
EC;
reprinted in
SP.
CAS sent the poem to GS on June
8
,
1913
. GS commented: “‘Desire of Vastness' is big too, with a
very
good ending. Its octave is pretty obscure; I get it, but fear that few others will” (letter to CAS, June
22
,
1913
;
SU
91
). “Cyclopean” (line
14
) is the adjectival form of Cyclops, the one-eyed giant encountered by Odysseus in the
Odyssey
(
9
.
105
f.).

“The Medusa of Despair.” First published in
Town Talk
No.
1113
(December
20
,
1913
); reprinted in
OS, EC,
and
SP.
CAS referred to the poem as “easily my most terrific [i.e., terrifying] sonnet” (letter to Samuel Loveman, August
1
,
1913
; manuscript, BL). He sent the poem, along with others, to GS on June
8
,
1913
. GS commented: “But biggest of all is this great ‘Medusa of Despair,' a truly terrible sonnet. It's clearer than most of your sonnets, too, and ends wonderfully” (letter to CAS, June
22
,
1913
;
SU
91
). Evidently GS submitted the poem to
Town Talk
(see
SU
99
).

“The Refuge of Beauty.” First published in
OS;
reprinted in
EC
and
SP.
CAS sent the poem to GS on June
8
,
1913
. GS commented: “‘The Refuge of Beauty' is strong, though the clash between ‘escape' and ‘Hate' [l.
8
] jars me” (letter to CAS, June
22
,
1913
;
SU
91
). Evidently, “Evade” in line
8
formerly read “Escape.” This poem was one of the first read by HPL when he came into contact with CAS in August
1922
; he said of it: “If that ain't supreme poesy, I'm a damned liar!” (letter to Maurice W. Moe, [September
1922
];
Selected Letters
1911
–
1924
[Sauk City, WI: Arkham House,
1965
], p.
163
).

“The Harlot of the World.” First published in
Town Talk
(March
27
,
1915
); reprinted in
OS, EC,
and
SP.
Also published in
Town Talk
1361
(September
21
,
1918
; “Golden Gate Literary Number”). CAS told GS (April
23
,
1915
) that he gave the poem to
Town Talk,
adding: “It was ‘impossible', I suppose, for any of the respectable eastern publications” (
SU
122
).

“Memnon at Midnight.” Written before March
11
,
1915
. First published in
OS;
reprinted in
EC
and
SP.
For Memnon, see note
6
to “Prose Poems.” CAS sent the poem, with others, to GS on March
11
,
1915
. GS commented: “The poems you sent are all good . . . But I like best the sonnet ‘Memnon at Midnight.' The sestet of that is sublime” (letter to CAS, April
14
,
1915
;
SU
121
).

“Love Malevolent.” Apparently first published in a magazine entitled
Live Stories
(
1916
); but this appearance has not been found; reprinted in
EC.
Also published in
Step Ladder
(May
1927
)
.
It may have been about this poem that CAS wrote: “I wonder if such poetic deviltry really offends people, in spite of their loud and disgusting pretence of being shocked. It seems to me that many must find it more entertaining than the ordinary banalities. . . . Apropos of some of the things in the sonnet, did you know that mandragora [line
9
] was at one time in great repute as an aphrodisiac? I don't remember to have seen any poetic reference to the fact. Few will get the full force of the lines in which I've made use of this” (CAS to Samuel Loveman, June
13
,
1915
; manuscript, BL).

“The Crucifixion of Eros.” First published in
OS;
reprinted in
EC
and
SP.
Also published in
Step Ladder
(May
1927
)
.
CAS sent the poem, along with others, to GS on June
15
,
1916
. GS commented (letter to CAS, June
17
,
1916
): “‘Belated Love' and ‘The Crucifixion of Eros' are beautiful and moving things” (
SU
136
). CAS noted to Loveman that the poem “is a good enough conception, but the phraseology seems flat, and the versification intolerably monotonous” (letter to Loveman, April
26
,
1916
; manuscript, BL). For the same general theme of love and death, see the story “The Disinterment of Venus” (
1932
).

“The Tears of Lilith.” The manuscript is dated April
26
,
1917
. First published in
EC;
reprinted in
SP.
CAS sent the poem to GS on June
17
,
1917
. GS commented: “I like ‘The Tears of Lilith'—a lovely lyric” (letter to CAS, July
8
,
1917
;
SU
150
). For Lilith, see note
4
to “The Holiness of Azédarac.”

“Requiescat in Pace.” Written before April
24
,
1918
. First published in
Midland
(May
1920
); reprinted in
EC
and
SP.
The poem, as Scott Connors has established, is dedicated to Mamie Lowe Miller, who died in November
1917
. Just before her death CAS wrote: “My best friend here [in Auburn] is very ill. She seems to have developed an attack of brain fever in addition to the consumption from which she has suffered for years. I don't know whether she will live or not. If she dies, I think I will go mad with grief and a guilty conscience” (letter to GS, October
11
,
1917
;
SU
141
). CAS sent the poem to GS on April
24
,
1918
. GS noted: “This ‘Requiescat' is very beautiful, I think” (letter to CAS, May
12
,
1918
;
SU
161
). CAS said of Miller: “Yes, her poetic tastes were congenial to mine. We agreed on all things but religion (she was a devout Christian) and I fear that she was made unhappy because I could not share her faith. To-day, strangely enough, is her birthday; and when I go out into the fields, after finishing this letter and certain others, all the flowers that she loved will torture and reproach me. The snow-drops and larkspurs I carried to her a year ago, will ask for her; and I shall have no answer” (letter to Samuel Loveman, April
27
,
1918
; manuscript, BL).