Poems that conjure the sensation of panic often take the reader into moments of crisis, fear, or anxiety. Using sharp and jarring language, these poems paint a picture of an unraveling mind or an impending catastrophe.
One example of this would be Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Bells,’ where the repetitive clangor of the bells builds into a frenetic crescendo, mirroring the mind’s descent into madness.
Such poems may employ chaotic rhythms, disjointed imagery, and unsettling metaphors to create an atmosphere of dread. The sense of urgency and terror in these works can be so tangible that readers may find themselves caught in the whirlwind of emotions, feeling the panic themselves.
‘Boots’ by Rudyard Kipling is a memorable poem. In it, Kipling uses repetition to emphasize the struggle of soldiers on a forced march.
We're foot—slog—slog—slog—sloggin’ over Africa!
Foot—foot—foot—foot—sloggin’ over Africa—
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin’ up and down again!)
There’s no discharge in the war!
Tennyson’s ‘The Lady of Shalott’ narrates the tale of the cursed Lady entrapped in a tower on the island of Shalott, who meets a tragic end.
On either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And thro' the field the road runs by
‘At the Bus Station’ by Julius Chingono offers advice on how to survive the selfish pandemonium of a bus commute.
When you arrive
at the bus station
pull down your tie
or remove the tie
‘Riot’ by Gwendolyn Brooks is a poem that illustrates the dissonance that exists between the privileged and those who are driven to desperation to riot.
John Cabot, out of Wilma, once a Wycliffe,
all whitebluerose below his golden hair,
wrapped richly in right linen and right wool,
almost forgot his Jaguar and Lake Bluff;
‘Darkness’ by Lord Byron is a foreboding poem that predicts haunting consequences for humanity in the rapidly changing modern world.
I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth
‘The White Rose’ inquisitively follows the encounters of a white rose in an environment where it does not belong.
And in the cold morning
over the dark surface of the earth
echoes of my voice drift,
whiteness steadily absorbed into darkness
‘Don’t Go Far Off’ by Pablo Neruda is an impassioned plea for the beloved’s constant presence, showing fear of separation.
Don't go far off, not even for a day, because --
because -- I don't know how to say it: a day is long
and I will be waiting for you, as in an empty station
when the trains are parked off somewhere else, asleep.
Jackie Kay’s ‘False Memory’ explores the lasting impact of painful childhood memories, revealing deep emotions and the struggle to escape the past’s hold.
It came to her when she was out
walking and it stopped her dead.
She must have stood there
for a lifetime like a tree
‘Not My Business’ by Niyi Osundare is a powerful, satirical poem that explores the consequences of staying silent in the face of oppression.
They picked Akanni up one morning
Beat him soft like clay
And stuffed him down the belly
Of a waiting jeep.
‘Velocity Of Money’ by Allen Ginsberg uses irony and satire to make a powerful critique on the forces of capitalism.
I’m delighted by the velocity of money as it whistles through the windows
of Lower East Side
Delighted by skyscrapers rising the old grungy apartments falling on
84th Street
‘Bayonet Charge’ delves into a soldier’s fear and existential crisis amidst war, questioning the true cost of duty and honor.
Suddenly he awoke and was running- raw
In raw-seamed hot khaki, his sweat heavy,
Stumbling across a field of clods towards a green hedge
That dazzled with rifle fire, hearing
‘Evening Hawk’ showcases Warren’s love for rich imagery and metaphysical symbolism. The hawk serves as a powerful vehicle for a series of revelations about our place in the universe.
His wing
Scythes down another day, his motion
Is that of the honed steel-edge, we hear
The crashless fall of stalks of Time.
‘One need not be a Chamber to be Haunted’ by Emily Dickinson explores the nature of the human mind. She presents the reader with images of mental and physical threats and how they can be confronted.
One need not be a chamber to be haunted,
One need not be a house;
The brain has corridors surpassing
Material place.
In ‘Tamerlane,’ Poe weaves a tapestry of melancholy, exploring love’s ephemeral nature and the soul’s struggle with ambition and mortality.
Kind solace in a dying hour!
Such, father, is not (now) my theme—
I will not madly deem that power
Of Earth may shrive me of the sin
‘For Anne Gregory’ is a gentle dialogue between Yeats and the youthful Anne about the realities of beauty and companionship.
“Never shall a young man,
Thrown into despair
By those great honey-coloured
Ramparts at your ear,
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