Banners yellow, glorious, golden,
On its roof did float and flow,
(This – all this – was in the olden
Time long ago,)
And every gentle air that dallied,
In that sweet day,
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,
A winged odor went away.
excerpt from The Haunted Palace by Edgar Allan Poe (1839)
I was surprised to learn how many Halloween poems were written by classic poets such as Thomas Hardy and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Poe’s poem begins in a dreamlike mood, then becomes nightmarish as evil falls on the palace and king. Some think the decaying palace is a metaphor for madness. I like the melodic quality of the poem, moved along by alliteration. It is part of Poe’s story titled The Fall of the House of Usher. Whatever your interpretation, make sure to read it aloud by candle light for full spooky effect!
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