The Death Angel (Poem) by Farnsworth Wright
“The Death Angel” is a poem written by Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright, who published it in the September 1925 issue the magazine, under the pseudonym Francis Hard. One of Wright’s few works to be chosen for publication by anyone other than himself, many years later, “The Death Angel” was reprinted in Spectral Realms, Winter 2018.
About Farnsworth Wright
Farnsworth Wright was the editor of Weird Tales magazine from November 1924 to March 1940. He edited a total of 179 issues during a period that is generally considered to be the magazine’s heyday. Praising Wright’s contributions to the genre, the American science fiction writer, John Steward Williamson described him as “the first great fantasy editor”.
Born in California on July 29, 1888; Wright was educated at the University of Nevada, and later studied journalism at the University of Washington, where he joined the staff of the University of Washington Daily and ended up becoming managing editor. His first job was as a reporter for the Seattle Sun, He worked there until 1917, when he was drafted into the Army.
In 1923, while working as a music critic for the Chicago Herald and Examiner, Wright joined the Weird Tales staff, working part-time as chief manuscript reader. The following year, the magazine’s publisher, J. C. Henneberger, fired Edwin Baird—the founding editor—and replaced him with Wright.
Although not prolific, Wright wrote several short stories, publishing them in Weird Tales alongside the work of notable regular contributors, such as H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. Wright had a preference for shorter works of fiction, and his contributions to the magazine generally reflected this. His first story, “The Closing Hand” is less than 1,100 words long, with later tales averaging 2,000 to 3,500 words. However, although Wright published many of his stories under his own name, for others, he used the pseudonym Frances Hard. This was the case with “The Great Panjandrum”, a story that’s close to 5,500 words. Wright also published several works of dark poetry under the Francis Hard pseudonym.
In 1921, before his tenure at Weird Tales, Wright was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Initially, his health issues did not hold him back, but, by 1930, he was no longer able to sign his own letters. Admirably, he still managed to function as editor for a further decade, before resigning in 1940. He died on June 12 of the same year.
The Death Angel
By Farnsworth Wright (As Francis Hard)
We struggled in the waves, and I was ware
Of a strange presence moving by my side,
More beautiful than dawn, and dreamy-eyed,
Who half enmesht me with her falling hair.
Blacker than night, yet thousandfold more fair;
And with the siren-voice of dreams she cried:
“Forbear to struggle more, but gently slide
Into my arms: new rapture waits thee there.”
To that soft plea I would have yielded then,
But tender voices cried into my ear,
And then the sobs of loved ones I could hear;
And so I turned, and fought the waves again.
My comrade from my side she reft away:
I entered into night, she into day.
Farnsworth Wright (1888 – 1940)