Feeling Poetic? Here are 5 Horror Poetry Books I Love!

I may be a day late to celebrate World Poetry Day, but I did find 5 horror poetry books I love to share with you anyway. I mean, I love poetry. Poetry usually makes me think about an array of things, makes me feel, inspires or makes me contemplate something deeper than whatever is on the surface. It’s art in word form—subjective …

5 Horror Poetry Books I Love!

The Place of Broken Things by Linda D. Addison and Alessandro Manzetti

A horror duo made in heaven, in my opinion. Alessandro Manzetti has always captivated me with his unique perspective of the horror genre, while Linda D. Addison knows how to dig deep into the soul and cut it to pieces with her poetry. The Place of Broken Things (published by Crystal Lake Publishing) is a surreal collection that features death, darkness, and all the things that make horror aficionados happy.

If you’re looking for something poignant, deliciously dark, and you’re ready to have your insides clawed apart, then The Place of Broken Things is what you need in your life. You will not be disappointed.

The Apocalyptic Mannequin by Stephanie M. Wytovich

If you’re only now getting into darker poetry, I suggest you start off with anything by Stephanie M. Wytovich. I return to her work often when the mood hits, and I sincerely love her outlook of the world. The Apocalyptic Mannequin (Raw Dog Screaming Press) is a dystopian horror collection of sorts, featuring poems that will make your heart weep for the state of the world (and all the possible ways it could end).

The Apocalyptic Mannequin is for readers who love their stomachs churning, cringing at the brutality of it all, and feeling like they’re immersed in a whole other (completely possible) reality. It’s raw, visceral, and unputdownable. A must-read collection if ever there was one.

The Complete Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe

No horror poetry list would be complete without Edgar Allan Poe making an appearance. The granddaddy of horror has a soft spot in my heart, not only because he was before his time, but because his poetry is timeless. I mean, everyone knows The Raven, right? But there are so many other wonderful, creepy poems of his … I, personally, love Bridal Ballad, due to how the tale develops into something dark and supernatural.

Yes, I know it’s almost cliché to add Edgar Allan Poe to the list, but hey, I can’t help liking what I like. *shrugs* So, if you’re looking for some classic horror poetry, look no further than The Complete Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe (Signet Classics).

Under Her Skin by Lindy Ryan

I’m not being biased when I say the inaugural all-women anthology, Under Her Skin (Black Spot Books), which is coming out April 5th, 2022, is awesome! Yes, okay, yours truly has a poem in there, but I’ve never regarded myself as a poet. Like, seriously, it took some convincing for me to even submit … In the end, I submitted a poem because I wanted to see if I could have my name published amongst some off the most exceptional women in horror today. And boy, oh, boy did these ladies bring their best.

I absolutely love this anthology because it cuts deep, shows the world what women have to deal with on the daily, and bares our souls (and I’m so honored to be part of it). If you haven’t pre-ordered your copy yet, you absolutely have to. Under Her Skin is a poetry showcase you’ll revisit regularly.

The Devil’s Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes by Sara Tantlinger

Combining two of my favorite things: A prolific serial killer and poetry. 🙂 Sara Tantlinger made me a tad too giddy when The Devil’s Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes was released. It’s dark AF, but seriously good (and memorable!). What’s more, H.H. Holmes not only inspired fear in his lifetime (and a whole lot of speculation as to what happened to the corpses of his victims), but even now, there’s still so many unanswered questions. Sara Tantlinger taps into all that and more for this collection.