What is a summary of "Ode to Evening" (1746) by William Collins?

Ode to Evening appeared in "Odes on Several Descriptive
and allegorical Subjects"(1747).It is the one of the finest lyrics of the 18th century.
It is written in unrhymed stanzas of four lines.

In "Ode to
Evening" the poet is seen at his best.It is a masterpiece creation of Collins. Evening
has been personified. It is not just a time of dusk. It is the spirit of Evening
appearing as Nymph. She is described as reserved by nature. She is peaceful and simple.
In her tent sun sets and resets.She has been imagined as a maid composed. The poet would
like to sing his songs to soothe her modest ear. He would like to learn some softened
strain from Evening herself so that when he sings it , she is
pleased.

The poem begins with an invocation to the spirit
of Evening to teach the poet to sing a soft strain to it. She is not just a part of dead
nature. Sometime she appears as pensive Eve. She likes to hear the poet's songs. Her
hours are fragrant. Fairies who sleep in the buds during daytime, come out in the
evening and make the atmosphere fragrant.

His song should
be as soft as the murmur of the streams or the dying winds. The poet says that barring
the cry of the bat and the beetle , there is complete calm all around in the evening. He
wishes to go to some solitary and barren spot or some ancient ruined building among
lonely valleys in the evening to watch its beauty.But if he is prevented from doing so
by "chill, blustering winds or driving rain", he would like to go to a lovely cottage on
the mountain side to watch the dark colored evening gradually descending over the
surrounding landscape with the "gradual dusky veil" .

The
poem ends with the poet's conviction that the evening shall continue to inspire fancy
(poets), friendship (friends), science (men of learning), and smiling peace (lovers of
peace) throughout the seasons of the year.