Premium Only Content

"The Dark Château" by Clark Ashton Smith
Tons of good vocabulary packed into this poem!
Acherontic: dark and dismal (as of the river Acheron in Hades)
attar: a fragrant essential oil (as from rose petals)
oriel: a large bay window projecting from a wall and supported by a corbel or bracket
gules: the heraldric term for red
verdure: the greenness of growing vegetation; health and vigor
oleander: a poisonous evergreen shrub (Nerium oleander) of the dogbane family with clusters of fragrant white to red flowers
hoar: this word has several definitions that could fit the bill here, so you can pick whichever one tickles your fancy the most: frosty; ancient; no longer interesting or meaningful due to repetition over time
seneschal: the steward or major-domo of a medieval great house
coigne: given the association with 'niche', we're probably looking at the meaning of "a projecting corner", but it could also mean "the keystone of an arch", or " the external corner of a building; especially any of the large, squared stones by which the corner of a building is marked", or any wedgelike piece of stone. Anyways, you get the idea.
jambart (or jambeau): a greave, i.e. a piece of armour worn to protect the shin from the ankle to the knee
lampadephore: torch bearer. Or I suppose in this case, lamp bearer.
limn: the draw or paint on a surface. Or possible: to outline in clear sharp detail. Not entirely clear which definition fits better.
The picture used is "The Dark Chateau" (1919) by Leslie Moffat Ward. Frankly it reminds me strongly of "The Fall of the House of Usher", but it'll have to do for here.
To follow along: http://www.eldritchdark.com/writings/poetry/113/the-dark-chateau
-
LIVE
Matt Kohrs
10 hours ago🔴[LIVE TRADING] We Got A BARN BURNER!!! || The MK Show
1,472 watching -
LIVE
Wendy Bell Radio
5 hours agoIt's All About The Optics
8,747 watching -
LIVE
LFA TV
10 hours agoLFA TV ALL DAY STREAM - THURSDAY 6/12/25
3,426 watching -
LIVE
The Mike Schwartz Show
2 hours agoTHE MIKE SCHWARTZ SHOW with DR. MICHAEL J SCHWARTZ 06-12-2025
176 watching -
1:29:28
Chicks On The Right
4 hours agoBessent triggers Dem chicks on the Hill, psycho lib protesters show more of their crazy
52.1K4 -
4:02:39
The Bubba Army
1 day agoICE Raid Protests SPREAD to more cities! - Bubba the Love Sponge® Show | 6/12/25
90.9K10 -
LIVE
LumpyPotatoX2
1 hour agoSplitgate 2: Battle Royale + New Rumble Studio UI- #RumbleGaming
70 watching -
1:33:51
Game On!
17 hours ago $1.64 earnedSports Morning Espresso Shot! June 12th, 2025!
31.1K -
14:26
Degenerate Jay
1 day ago $1.54 earnedShould Star Wars Be Done With Luke Skywalker?
27.2K9 -
44:01
Esports Awards
20 hours agoFrom Football Fields to Esports Arenas: The Journey of Sc0utOP | Origins Podcast #11
20.1K1