By Emma Bracken

Halloween night at the University of Arkansas campus, the English department hosted a spooky-themed poetry reading event titled, “Poetry of the Macabre.” Staff came together to share with students some of their favorite haunting poems, and then students were given the opportunity to read their own work in the form of an open mic. 

Nearly fifty graduate and undergraduate students gathered in the Honors Lounge in Gearhart Hall to spend their holiday engrossed in poetry. To some, this may come as a surprise; students don’t always go out of their way to attend academic events just for the fun of it. However, there seems to be something about the creative form of poetry and our ability to gather and read it aloud that draws in an eager crowd. As the staff kicked off the event, attentive eyes were glued to the makeshift stage at the front of the room. In some cases, scrambling fingers took notes of points of intrigue; others closed their eyes in understanding. 

Dr. Leigh Pryor Sparks set the tone of the evening by reading Mary Elizabeth Coleridge’s “The Witch.” in which Coleridge uses the infamous symbol of the witch as a tool for storytelling. Dr. Sparks was not the only participant to choose poems of this archetype, as it was followed by poems about demons, monsters, bugs and scarecrows. There is something about the unsettling or disturbing undertones of this genre of art that we are fascinated by.

Most of these poems centered on some exploration of life and death, the things that are horrifying because they are unknown, and yet we read them and clap with smiles on our faces. There appears to be a source of catharsis generated in the process of reading aloud that which scares us; we take the darkness out of ourselves, and in tossing it back and forth it loses its fear factor. 

One poet who attended the event, Erin Pinkham, shared a mix of both her own work and her favorites from other creators. They praise the creepy and crawly imagery of Hozier’s “In a Week.” and the joy of using this kind of imagery to express something deeper and grittier. Pinkham also shared their own poem titled, “The Sleep Paralysis Demon is Always a Man,” in which they describe it as a love letter to a friend in the understanding and recognition of their fears. Moments like these allow us to find the reasons why within the art itself; poetry becomes a way for us to connect through recognition of each other’s feelings. 

When asked about what the act of gathering and reading poetry means to her, Pinkham describes this medium as a visceral in and out of body experience. 

“It’s more expressive when you can read it aloud,” she said. “For me, poetry is a way to not only talk about life but make sense of it, and share how we each make sense of it to each other.”

Another poet, Arden Malloy, shared an original poem using the image of a seance as a form of facing your inner demons. “Sometimes the scariest demons are internalized homophobia,” she joked, followed with a moving poem using this familiar fictional trope of contacting the dead with a black candle or a Ouija board, and turning it into something that many people can really relate to.  

Malloy commented on the way poetry as a literary form is the ideal tool for expression, saying, “Poetry is a compelling medium because it allows for experimentation. Breaking the rules and creating your own.” 

To Malloy and to many other poets, the freedom of form allows them to better explore and create from the emotions they are wrestling with.

“Anyone can write a poem,” she added. “It’s not restricted to any level of education or writing experience. It’s something we can all do, it’s a form of connection.”

Some poets took a more lighthearted route, telling stories of eerie childhood fairytales, or the way they were spooked by their favorite horror movie. Even within the genre of fear and facing demons, there were many laughs across the crowd. This is an example of the catharsis experienced by reading these poems aloud; the words seem to lose their venom. 

If you are looking for a way to connect with fellow students or to express yourself creatively, the University of Arkansas English department hosts several literary events including poetry open mics throughout the year, as well as other clubs and organizations from time to time. For some who would prefer not to take the stage, college students have numerous opportunities to share their work virtually or through print by submitting to local magazines that publish poetry, including our own Hill Magazine print edition. Whichever medium you choose, there is clearly something to be gained from the form of poetry to tap into our own emotions and be giving opportunities to connect with others who may be feeling the same.