We are halfway through this challenge! So far, we’ve explored classic horror and Gothic fiction before venturing into the world of poetry with Christina Rosetti’s unsettling Goblin Market. For the next poem in this series, we’re turning to one of the most celebrated figures in American poetry, Robert Frost. He is a repeated winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and known most for his depictions of rural life, nature, and the complexities of human experience. Some of his most famous poetry include The Road Not Taken, Nothing Gold Can Stay, and Mending Wall. For the purposes of Promptober, we will be reading The Witch of Coös.

In The Witch of Coös, dialogue does most, if not all, of the heavy lifting. Aside from very brief notes at the beginning and ending, the entire poem is an exchange between a mother and her son. Frost does not break in the conversation to add details about creaking floorboards, a dark farmhouse, or shadows creeping along the wall. Instead, creates the setting, atmosphere, characterization, and revelations largely through conversation. 

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Read The Witch of Coös and think about how Robert Frost was able to create an unsettling atmosphere without relying on conventional horror imagery. 

How did you find the nonchalant attitude of the mother and son toward living with the skeleton in their attic?

How does Frost use the characters’ dialogue to build suspense, reveal their personalities, and make the story feel unsettling?

As the conversation continues, the mother reveals details that make the story more disturbing than it first appears. How does Frost gradually reveal the truth, and how does this approach shape your reaction to the poem?

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One of the most interesting things about writing is discovering how many different ways a story can be told. Horror doesn’t always have to rely on the supernatural, suspense doesn’t always require action, and as we have seen and read today, elaborate imagery and descriptions aren’t always required to create creepiness and unease. When writers take story-telling devices and turn them into story-building details, we can see how even the smallest elements can serve a greater purpose. 

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With this concept still fresh in your mind, let’s see where it takes you. For the next three days of Promptober, write a short story, poem, reflection, collection of thoughts, scene, or anything else the following words inspire:

October 15th – attic

October 16th – skeleton

October 17th – button

Interpret them literally or let them take you somewhere unexpected. And if you decide to share what you write, I’d love to see it! Share your work on Facebook or Instagram and tag @paigeturnerblogs. You can also use #paigeturnerblogs and #themodernfolio so we can find your work and follow along with Promptober.

To the biggest surprises hiding behind the smallest details!

Paige Turner