Vintage Vampire Poetry from the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century
Thus, while the topic might be supernatural in essence, and the ingredients be those of Gothic horror and Gothic romance, the poet has the same tools of the trade as any other poet with which to create his undying creation. These two links will take you to discussions on how to read poetry aloud as the poet intends, and to a discussion on the elements of poetry.
Poetic Structure and Elements
It will open a page featuring a discussion of the various elements. It will open in a separate page, so you could keep it open while reading the poems. The following are the preDracula poems that have been translated into English. A separate section will eventually arrive featuring more modern poetry about vampires.
Table of Contents Organized by Date1748 "Der Vampir" Ossenfelder 1748 Brings the German "Der Vampir," by Heinrich August Ossenfelder. It is the first example of poetry about a Vampire, and at two stanzas,an extremely short poem. Note that there might easily have been earlier vampire poems, both in England and on the Continent, but unless the holders of the extremely rare literature make them known, they don't really count, do they? (I have set these to open in new windows for ease of side-to-side study.) 1790 "Lenora" Göttfried August Bürger This is the version translated into English by Dante Gabriel Rosetti. The vampire is now a soldier capable of riding a horse, and being seen without giving the viewer the heebie-jeebies. There are links to the poem, and to a study-guide. I have set the study-questions to open to a separate page, so you can have the two side-by-side. Study-guide Questions (created for the Rossetti version of "Lenora" 1797 "The Bride of Corinth" Johann Wolfgang von Goethe This poem features the arrival of the female vampire into the early poetry. Note that I am not claiming they didn't exist before, simply that they arrive in the poetry at this point in time. The links which follow will take you to the poem, and to my summary of the poem. I highly recommend reading the summary side-by-side with the poem since the poem is quite complex (and just a bit boring)! To enable this, I am setting the summary to open a new page, and the regular link will take you to the poem. Summary for Goethe's "The Bride of Corinth" 1801 "Thalaba the Destroyer" Robert Southey 1801 "Thalaba the Destroyer" Robert Southey. Book seven has a section in which the vampire is featured. I am focusing only on that section. 1810 "The Vampire" John Stagg This poem presents a unique blend of prose and poetry. It begins with an "argument" section, which is then followed by an extended rhymed poem. As soon as I have time, I will be putting up a modernized version, since some of the language is pretty oblique. 1813 "The Giaour" Lord Byron Yes, this is indeed a vampire poem by Lord Byron. He was nothing if not prolific. 1816 "Christabel" Samuel Taylor Coleridge This poem by Coleridge if very explicit, and I would rate it an "R." 1819 "Lamia" John Keats 1819 "Lamia" by John Keats is about a Greek vampire. Frankly I don't care for the poem, so don't expect analysis of it for a good long while. 1820 "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" John Keats in 1820 John Keats produced the ballad "La Belle Dame Sans Merci." While it features a supernatural female predator who is pale and appears to enervate males with whom she comes into contact, I wouldn't really call her a vampire. 1857 "Metamorphosis of a Vampire" Charles Baudelaire 1857 adds the theologically rich poem "Metamorphosis of a Vampire" by Charles Baudelaire. It features a seductive female vampire that represents the female as temptation and sin. Read it for yourself; it is both short and highly readable. This version is the translation by Emily Dickenson. Here is a pocket analysis of the poem. Quick Analysis of "Metamporphosis of a Vampire" 1897 "The Vampire" Rudyard Kipling 1897, Rudyard Kipling published his wonderful poem "The Vampire." It is about a seductive female gold-digger. Oops! Vampire, I meant to type vampire. Below are links to a feminist reading of Kipling's vamp.
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