Twilight, the gradual softening of the day into darkness, is surely the gentlest, most natural way to prepare for sleep. And yet it is a pleasure we deny ourselves with the switch on the bedside lamp. Even the guttering of a candle or the afterglow of a paraffin lantern is less abrupt. A couple of generations ago most country people went to bed when it was dark, at least in summertime. And so we miss the time of darkling shades in which our pupils dilate by slow degrees and dreams drift in as, wide-eyed, we enter the rook-black night.
– from the late author, Roger Deakin’s recently-published ‘Wildwood – A Journey Through Trees’ (pp.47-8).
Sumptuous World 
Wednesday, August 1, 2007 at 11:20 am |
Beautiful! …and what an alluring title for a book. I’ll look it out. Thanks!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 11:37 am |
This theme on what we’ve lost in nighttime has been followed up by others too, for instance Roger Ekirk’s Close of the Day: a History of Nighttime. (Thanks to Peter Brown for the reference) See this review http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/history/0,6121,1538823,00.html
Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 11:58 am |
Hi Chris, Looks a cracking read – thank you. If you haven’t already, check out one of my favourite stories, that of Mucky Porter, who’s knowledge of the fens enabled him to guide others past all the night time bogles and boggarts: https://sumptuous.wordpress.com/2007/07/24/nothing-like-a-good-story/