There is also a sense of longing in dark poetry, as many dark poems romanticize death or dying. Often, poets see death existing right next to life. Death may be given sexual undertones or be portrayed as a figure of romance, but in a dark way.
“Song” by Christina Rossetti. “Minstrel Man” by Langston Hughes. “The Pond Museum” by Brandon Shimoda. [4] X Research source “The morning after/my death” by Etel Adnan. [5] X Research source “Romance Sonambulo” by Federico Garcia Lorca. [6] X Research source
Ask yourself several questions about the poems, such as: How does the poet explore darkness in the poem? Does the poet focus on a specific moment of darkness? How does the poet use sensory detail and descriptive language to describe darkness? For example, in Rossetti’s “Song”, Rossetti asks her lover not to mourn her death, but instead to move on with their life. Rossetti romanticizes death by arguing it has no domain over her once she is gone. She also uses rhyme and rhythm to give the poem a light quality, even when it is addressing heavy themes. In comparison, Hughes’ “Minstrel Man” looks at how minstrel shows in America hide a lot of darkness in plain sight. His speaker is a minstrel man who performs racist shows for American audiences. Hughes contrasts the apparent joy and happiness the minstrel man performs for his audience with the pain and suffering he experiences internally. This gives the poem a disturbing quality that is finalized with the last line of the poem, “I die”.
For example, around “darkness”, you may write “black”, “grey”, “death” “alone”, “anger”, “powerful”, and “hidden”. You could then try to integrate these terms into your poem or use a specific feeling, such as “anger”, as the inspiration for your poem.
For example, maybe you recall a moment in the girl’s bathroom at school where you felt lonely or sad. You may then try to describe the scene and how it felt to be standing in the girl’s bathroom with these feelings.
For example, maybe you relate a lot of dark emotions to the death of your grandfather. You may then try describing how it felt to attend his funeral and see him in his casket. You may also contrast memories of his death with memories of his life to give the poem levity.
For example, maybe there is a next door neighbor who seems to represent darkness or dark emotions for you. Or, maybe there is a family relative that scared you as a kid. You may also remember a dark experience in a house you once lived in or associate dark feelings with a house in your neighborhood. Maybe there was a family vacation that you went on to a specific place in the States that you associate with dark or disturbing emotions.
Try to stay away from cliches like “dark as night”, “lost and alone” or “so lonesome I could cry”. Come up with more original descriptions and images in your poem, especially when you are addressing dark themes and elements. One way you can address cliches in your writing is to go over your poem and look for any familiar terms or phrases. You should then underline them and focus on replacing certain words or replacing the phrase so it is less familiar and feels more original.
For example, maybe you are writing a poem about your grandfather’s death. You may focus on the smell of the white lilies at his grave or the gray, thin appearance of your grandfather in his casket. You may also describe the food you ate at his wake and the feeling of holding your grandmother’s hand at the funeral.
For example, you may use a metaphor to describe the loneliness of standing in the girl’s bathroom at school. You may write, “The stalls are blank eyes in the face of this room”. Or, you may use a simile to describe the look and smell of the bathroom. You may write, “The floor is as slick as the surface of a lake” and “The sinks smell like rotten eggs”. Some poets, such as Rossetti in “Song”, also use rhyme in their dark poetry. Rhyme can be useful for adding some levity and lightness to a poem about heavy, dark subject matter. But it can also make your poem sound too sing-songy and silly. Use rhyme sparingly.
You should also pay attention to any images that are confusing or lines that are not as strong as they could be. Make sure you are not using cliches in your writing. Your poem should use unfamiliar and interesting images and descriptions that are true to your style and voice. You should go back and edit the poem for clarity once you have read it out loud. Adjust any problem phrases or words you identified and make sure you are using strong, interesting language throughout the poem.
