Black, in verse

EBON

Think of a poetic term for the darkest shade, often used in literature to describe night or hair—it’s also a four-letter word that starts with a vowel.

This clue plays on the poetic or archaic term for the color black. In literature and older English, "ebon" is a shortened form of "ebony," often used in verse to fit meter or rhyme. The word "in verse" signals that the answer isn’t the everyday "black" but a more lyrical alternative. Think of it like how poets might say "e’en" instead of "evening."