Sonnet Sunday inspiration #2: Content

As Halloween Sonnet Sunday draws nearer, my email inbox is filling up with spooky sonnets… be sure to get yours in before it is too late!

Last week, we took a closer look at the sonnet form, but how about content? As I’ve said before, it’s your sonnet, so the content is entirely up to you, as long as it is thematically linked to Halloween in some way. This does not necessarily mean a poem about ghosts and goblins (although these characters are most welcome – just ask Christina Rossetti.) Perhaps you want to invoke the ghosts of your past, or your ancestors? Maybe horror takes a different form for you (a spider in the bath, anyone?)

This Halloween, we are facing some very serious issues as a human race. Carbon emissions are set to break records this year, after a 6% decrease due to the impact of the pandemic last year. You read that right. The world came to a standstill, and we managed to cut our carbon emissions by a mere 6%. This should give us some idea of the radical lifestyle changes required if we are to stand a chance of surviving the Anthropocene. If you wish to write a sonnet on the unfolding climate catastrophe this Halloween, be my guest! You may take inspiration from Craig Santos Pérez’ poem ‘Halloween in the Anthropocene.’

The above are just a few suggestions. My best suggestion is to see where your haunted muse takes you…if you dare!

My post ‘Sonnet at the witching hour’ will go live at midnight CET on 31st October. If you wish to link up a sonnet of your own, please link up to that post, so that others will know where to find it.

UPDATE 18/10/21: Due to an unprecedented response (thank you to those who have sent in sonnets already) I have no more space left to feature sonnets on by blog on the day. Please do not send further submissions. I would encourage you instead to publish a Halloween Sonnet on your blog, and link back to this event. I hope you will take part!

Happy haunting!

Ingrid