What’s Gothic Poetry?

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Gothic poetry can refer to works created in a number of different styles, but typically involve relatively specific subject matter. The period in which such a piece was composed often has a huge impact on how it was written and what aspects of the poem make it “Gothic” in nature. Classical works often relied on allusions to the medieval period of Europe and often have emotional content including love and the supernatural. Victorian Gothic poetry is, perhaps, the best known and includes works by poets such as Edgar Allen Poe, while more modern works often take on a dark and morbid tone.

There are many different types of writing that can be considered gothic poetry. The various styles often found within this category are largely based on the time period in which the works were composed. Some of the earliest short stories in this style were written in the 18th century and included imagery, themes, and settings reminiscent of medieval Europe. These works often included undertones of romance and melodrama. Many of these works were written as romances, rather than gothic poetry, but the themes and content have much in common with those poems that followed.

Gothic poetry enjoyed great support and interest during the Romantic era. Writers such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Percy Bysshe Shelley have used elements of the Gothic style within their poems. This blending of dark imagery with works centered around nature and love was hugely influential on the poets and writers who followed them. Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner is among the best-known Gothic poems of this period.

The Victorian era of the 19th century brought about a tremendous revival of such works, including a great deal of Gothic poetry. Edgar Allen Poe was responsible for much of this work, which remains popular well over 19 years later. Poe’s poems often combined several elements of horror, including supernatural and psychological terror, with romance and the dark, gloomy settings often associated with traditional Gothic works. Poe’s poetry established content that later writers have often sought to emulate through their own works.

Much of this emulation occurred throughout the 20th century, particularly the late 20th century and the rise of the Gothic subculture. The Gothic poetry produced by these writers is often heavily influenced by the works of Poe and often focuses more on the dark and psychologically twisted aspects of human nature. These poems are commonly written as a way to express pain or dissatisfaction through writing. Such gothic poetry may continue to use supernatural and horrific concepts, although additional overtones of morbidity and despair are quite common.

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