Vampire Poetry
There are thousands of vampire poems, written by famous poets most notably known for their work on topics other than vampire tales, as well as amateur poets and young aspiring poets. Vampire poems were actually the first type of literature or media which explored the theme of vampirism and vampires. Vampire poetry gave way to novels, stories, and films based on vampire themes. Classic vampire poems include poems such as: "Der Vampir" by Heinrich August Ossenfelder, "The Vampyre" by John Stagg, "Les metamorphoses du Vampire" by Charles Baudelaire, "The Vampire" by Rudyard Kipling, "The Vampire Countess" and "Le Chevalier Tenebre" by Paul Feval, "The House of the Vampire" by George Sylvester Viereck, and many others. "Der Vampir" by Heinrich August Ossenfelder is actually believed to be the first vampire poem ever written. Many of these poems were written in the nineteenth or eighteenth century, where vampirism was still believed by many individuals of society, more than it is now. Poems such as John Stagg’s "The Vampyre" portray vampires as pale, blood-hungry, dark and mysterious creatures of the night, which are common characteristics of the vampires. As vampire legends and stories evolved, so did the poems. Poets began to portray vampires as not only blood-thirsty creatures of the night, but sexual beasts, and they were portrayed as attractive and alluring. Other writers include Vasile Alecsandri, Arthur Symons, Madison Cawein, who each wrote poems entitled "The Vampire", Conrad Aiken, Thomas Hardy, Roger Johnson, Stephen Spera, and Margaret Keyes and Jeanne Youngson. Lord Byron introduced many aspects of the vampire tales that we now enjoy through "The Giaour", written in 1813.Vampire poetry is very common among literature, especially literature of the nineteenth century. Classic vampire poetry is very well known amongst scholars and avid literature admirers. Vampire poetry highly influenced other types of media, such as vampire novels and films on vampires. Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, was written, and gave way to a world of influential literature based on tales of vampires. Poets began adopting dark themes, dabbling on vampire tales in their poetry, for the 18th and 19th centuries were a time of immense turmoil. Victorian Britain society was plagued with diseases like tuberculosis, and members of society were undergoing gloomy times. Vampire poems reflected these sentiments and mirrored the darkness of the society through images of blood-thirsty vampires.
Here is one of the oldest published vampire poems:
Heinrich August Ossenfelder : Der Vampir (1748)
My dear young maiden clingeth
Unbending. fast and firm
To all the long-held teaching
Of a mother ever true;
As in vampires unmortal
Folk on the Theyse's portal
Heyduck-like do believe.
But my Christine thou dost dally,
And wilt my loving parry
Till I myself avenging
To a vampire's health a-drinking
Him toast in pale tockay.
And as softly thou art sleeping
To thee shall I come creeping
And thy life's blood drain away.
And so shalt thou be trembling
For thus shall I be kissing
And death's threshold thou' it be crossing
With fear, in my cold arms.
And last shall I thee question
Compared to such instruction
What are a mother's charms?