Depressing poetry...?

Question

I am looking for either poems or poets that you've stumbled across that depressed you, made you seethe, made you feel numb...
Just depressing poetry. Thnx in advance.

Answer 1

I'm not sure if depressed is the right word for it, since every text that goes straight into my heart makes me strangely happy, no matter how depressing it is. But the following poem by Rilke is the most desolate one I ever read. More so in German than in any English translation that I have been able to find, so I include the German original at the end, for those who read German.

What will you do, God, when I die?
When I, your pitcher, broken, lie?
When I, your drink, go stale or dry?
I am your garb, the trade you ply.
You lose your meaning, losing me.

Homeless without me, you will be
robbed of your welcome, warm and sweet.
I am your sandals; your tired feet
will wander bare for want of me.

Your mighty cloak will fall away.
Your glance that on my cheek was laid
and pillowed warm, will seek, dismayed,
the comfort that I offered once -
to lie, as sunset colours fade
in the cold lap of alien stones.

What will you do, God? I am afraid.


Was wirst du tun, Gott, wenn ich sterbe?
Ich bin dein Krug (wenn ich zerscherbe?)
Ich bin dein Trank (wenn ich verderbe?)
Bin dein Gewand und dein Gewerbe,
mit mir verlierst du deinen Sinn.

Nach mir hast du kein Haus, darin
dich Worte, nah und warm, begrüßen.
Es fällt von deinen müden Füßen
die Samtsandale, die ich bin.

Dein großer Mantel lässt dich los.
Dein Blick, den ich mit meiner Wange
warm, wie mit einem Pfühl, empfange,
wird kommen, wird mich suchen, lange -
und legt beim Sonnenuntergange
sich fremden Steinen in den Schoß.

Was wirst du tun, Gott? Ich bin bange.

Answer 2

Try reading a copy of a stage play titled "Faces In The Raft" at www.geocities.com/absaroka2001. The stage play can be printed out for free at this site.

The stage play consists of eight monologues, which are widely regarded as narrative poetry, that are given by refugees who are passengers on a raft that has been built from the ruins of an abandoned building and the dead. It's not clear if the passengers are above or below the floorboards.

"Faces In The Raft" was also performed as a downloadable "radioshow" at www.cremecitypop.com.

Answer 3

There is one poet that depresses me. Paul Laurence Dunbar. Some of his poetry like "The Haunted Oak", "Sympathy", or "We Wear the Mask" make me sad. Of course, his life makes me very melancholy. He was a Black poet and though he could write like John Keats or William Butler Yeats, he was trapped in writing ***** dialect. He married the love of his life, but abused her. He was an alcoholic from the medicine he took for his tuberculosis. He died while living with his mother and his ex-wife discovered he had died after reading about it in the paper. Quite depressing. Have a merry Christmas!
-Kiarra S.

Answer 4

Poems by Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, and Anne Sexton are generally dark and depressing. Many poems written by World War I soldiers are too. I've included some links for you to explore.

Answer 5

'Shooting the dogs' by Philip Hodgins

then

'Ambulances' by Philip Larkins

These two really depressed me.
The first one is really a sad and heart touching poem.
The second one is the truly depressing one, dealing with death.

Why asking of depressing poems? Not in a happy mood on Christmas?

anyway
Wish You A Wonderful Christmas and A Happy NewYear*

Answer 6

"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" by Randall Jarrell
"Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen

Two fabulous, but sad, WWI poems.

Answer 7

Read Sylvia Plath. Great poet and great depressive--ultimately a suicide.

Answer 8

In high school, I read a poem called "Elegy for Jane." I can't remember who wrote it, but to me it was very depressing.

Answer 9

I hate feeling depressed so I can't help u.

Answer 10

non-other i can rem..... "the humpback" i read in school