Poetry: The Ghoul's Muse

This week: The Ghoul's Muse

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“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door—
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”

“Macbeth, Act IV, Scene I” by William Shakespeare

Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison’d entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights hast thirty one
Swelter’d venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot.

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

“Ghost Music” by Robert Graves

Gloomy and bare the organ-loft,
Bent-backed and blind the organist.
From rafters looming shadowy,
From the pipes’ tuneful company,
Drifted together drowsily,
Innumerable, formless, dim,
The ghosts of long-dead melodies,
Of anthems, stately, thunderous,
Of Kyries shrill and tremulous:
In melancholy drowsy-sweet
They huddled there in harmony.
Like bats at noontide rafter-hung.

With Halloween right around the corner, it's the perfect time to embrace the strange, the scary, and the spectacular through the art of spooky poetry. Whether you prefer the chilling terror of Edgar Allan Poe or the playful rhyme of a trick-or-treat jingle, the Halloween season offers a cauldron of inspiration. Let’s dive into a few tips and tricks to conjure your most haunting verses. Muhwawawawa!

Master the Macabre Metaphor

Don’t just say a ghost appeared; make the imagery vivid and unsettling. Halloween poetry thrives on sensory language and figurative speech.

Instead of: “The night was dark.”

Try: “Night, a shroud of velvet, swallowed the moon’s pale shilling.”

Think about how something feels, smells, or sounds in a spooky setting. Is the air thin as old parchment? Does the shadow creep like spilled ink?

Embrace Classic Forms (with a Twist)

While free verse is always fun, using a classic structure can add a rhythmic, incantatory power to your work.

Try a Ballad to tell a tale of a legendary spirit or a cursed object. The strong, driving rhythm mimics a beating heart or a slow, purposeful walk.

The Villanelle, with its repeating lines, is perfect for capturing a relentless fear or an obsessive thought. Imagine the repetition driving your reader slightly mad!

The Limerick can be your go-to for lighthearted, goofy, or gently macabre humor.

Use Found Objects as Prompts

Look around your home or neighborhood for spooky prompts. Don’t limit yourself to ghosts and vampires. Focus on the mundane details that turn menacing:

The cracked porcelain doll on the shelf.

The rustle of dry leaves in the late-night breeze.

The flicker of a jack-o’-lantern‘s dying flame.

The squeak of old floorboards when no one is there.

Try starting a poem with one of the above ideas, and let the story unfold.

Play with Sound Devices

Poetry is meant to be heard! Use alliteration (the repetition of initial consonant sounds) and assonance (the repetition of vowel sounds) to create atmosphere:

Alliteration: “Shadows slid silent as serpentine smoke.” (A shushing, chilling sound).

Assonance: “A moan seeped from the coffin lodged below the rotten floor.” (A low, mournful sound).

Don’t Forget Humor

Not all Halloween poems have to be terrifying. Sometimes the most memorable ones are those that make us laugh with nervous energy. Think of poems about bad costumes, burnt popcorn balls, or the sheer awkwardness of bobbing for apples. A little comic relief can make the truly scary moments hit even harder.

Happy haunting and happy writing! May your verses be full of frights and delights!

STATIC

The Head Pumpkin

(18+)
An orange gourd goes out of its gourd on a revenge tour for the ages.
#2348930 by Scary_Soldier_Mike

STATIC

Season of the Witch

(ASR)
A poem inspired by the movie Halloween III/Season of the Witch
#2348705 by SpookyBee

STATIC

On the Precipice

(E)
I wrote this poem after I helped a spider off my window.
#2346488 by Travis Blake

STATIC

Persistent Ringing

(E)
The phone won't stop ringing!
#2346100 by Fairy ☮

STATIC

Hocus Pocus Loses Focus

(18+)
3 witch sisters are on a mission: steal a child's essence or be consigned to perdition.
#2348863 by Scary_Soldier_Mike

STATIC

Monster in the Dark

(E)
Written about a character for my book.
#2345703 by PinkLime

STATIC

What Lies Beneath Awaits

(E)
In the darkness he whispers your doom.
#2343220 by Lonewolf

STATIC

Ghost Whispers

(13+)
Writer's Cramp Entry 7/6/25
#2343211 by ♥OctOGre tHiNg♥

STATIC

The Iroquois Curse

(13+)
A deadly curse loosed from a tomb,
#2342318 by Teargen

Don't forget to nominate your favorites!

SURVEY

Quill Nomination Form 2025

(E)
Quill Nomination Form 2025
#2333343 by Jeff

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