My Top 3 Horror Poems of All Time

I have to say that oftentimes in this horror genre, we're missing out on an element truly rich in the emotion itself: poetry. Seriously, you can't beat poetry when it comes to emotion! So needless to say, we have the greats at our fingertips, and honestly we're more interested in the likes of AHS and "Fear, Inc." and "The Exorcist" to truly appreciate the written word at its most haunting.

In All Fairness, Though: Horror Poetry Is a Very Specialized Niche

I'd venture to say that it's a little too rich in the emotion and gravitas. Probably because we're all desensitized to some degree thematically and visually. A haunting image or emotion sticks with us way more than a haunting story; however, a story tends to make some sense of all of it, which is why we like them so much.

We're storytellers, after all.

However, as Some of You May Know, I'm a Poet, and a Poetry Freak

And since this is about horror, I have my thoughts about the icons and which ones really stick out the most. Please know that I'm staying away from the classic epic poetry we all know and love, like Dante, Marlowe, and Milton. We're talking about short spurts of sheer fright. And you might notice one of them right here:

• FIT THE SEVENTH (THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK) -- The title alone has an ominous sound to it, but it is a classic in the poetry annuls of imagination. Can you guess who the author is?
• WHAT SOFT -- CHERUBIC CREATURES -- Talk about "dashes" and "dashes" and "dashes," yet they convey a haunting voice even for the tamest subject matter. What author you know tends to use a lot of dashes with her work?
• THE RAVEN -- This one honestly doesn't even need any teaser or intro. You already know who wrote this one. But just in case you want to experience the horror that he is again, click here and read it for yourself.

And Amazingly Enough, There Are Plenty More to Explore

Countless poets have explored the inexplicable. The dark. The dismal. The hideous even. And maybe you have the fortitude to engulf the likes of Beowulf (even though, in my opinion, Beowulf isn't simply horror poetry at its most basic).

But I have my all-time greats for the simplest reads. The kind of works that touch you just once enough to paralyze you.

Don't get me wrong: I love me a good, long, hideous yarn. The more rope to hang myself with! But nothing beats a small dagger in the eye like a swift horror poem.