Fall is officially here, the weather is getting chilly, and our favorite, frightening holiday is slowly approaching. What better way to celebrate the season than diving into a spooky poem! These classic yet chilling pieces are great, from grabbing attention in the classroom to unwinding with a hot cup of apple cider. So give them a read, but don’t get too spooked!

The Witches' Spell (Macbeth) – William Shakespeare

A classic excerpt from one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays, Macbeth. This piece explores the inner workings of three witches gathering ingredients in order to produce a charm. The infamous lines “Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble” will be remembered and recited as a staple of commercialized witchcraft.

Her Kind – Anne Sexton

In sticking with the witchy theme, Her Kindby Anne Sexton takes on the role of a witch, telling stories of what she has been through. She claims to be unseen by those around her who are unknowing of her true power. This makes you think, who else is out there hiding?

The Vampire – Conrad Aiken

Another creepy creature, the vampire. In his piece, Conrad Aiken vividly describes the horror produced from witnessing, in the flesh, a vampire. A sight so terrorizing that “poets forgot their jeweled words.” Pretty scary, if you ask me.

The Apparition– John Donne

A true, traditionally frightening individual would most definitely be a ghost. Some may even spend their Halloween trying to summon them. In John Donne’s piece, he describes the “shrieks” and “cold quicksilver sweats” he experiences from being haunted by a ghoul. So maybe lay off on the Ouija board this time around.

Because I Could Not Stop for Death – Emily Dickinson

Death: a phenomenon feared by most every living person is put quite poetically mentioned in Emily Dickinson’s piece. Her beautiful language conveys a chilling reality with a warm tone of voice, something that isn’t seen all that often. A wonderful read for relaxation or analyzation–I’m dead serious.

Sonnet 100 – Lord Brooke Fulke Greville

A man whose name is almost as long as his sonnet. Lord Brooke Fulke Greville’s, Sonnet 100ventures deep into the unknown–into the dark. While the language is a bit Shakespearean, the piece is easily comprehendible, making it easier to soon find out what, or who, is lurking in the shadows.

The Raven – Edgar Allen Poe

Of course, how could I leave out the king of creepy, the sultan of spooky, the man himself, Edgar Allen Poe and one of his most famous pieces, The Raven? Many know the piece inside and out, and if you don’t, you’re in for a treat. Poe uses incredible language to beautifully paint an autumnal scene with gusts of wind and rain, while he himself is concealed by the rustling of his purple curtains. Now will the season be a drag with these spooky reads at your bed side? Well, “Quoth the Raven ‘Nevermore.'”