A Wallflower Sonnet

Poetry

The Spook Ballads

by William Theodore PARKES (1864 - 1908)

This is a volume of ghost stories in verse by William Theodore Parkes. The poems in this volume are often humorous, and written in a parody of ye olde style of poetry."Dealing largely with ghosts and legends embracing a dash of diablerie such as would have been dear to the heart of Ingoldsby. There is a rugged force in 'The Girl of Castlebar' that will always make it tell in recitation; and even greater success in this direction has attended 'The Fairy Queen,' a story unveiling the seamy side, with quaint humour and stern realism. It is specially worthy of note that Mr. Parkes's skill in versification has received the warmest acknowledgment from those best qualified to appreciate the bright local coloring as well as the blending of fancy and fun."— Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper. - Summary by Carolin

Listen next episodes of The Spook Ballads:
A Cantible on Music, Art and Law , A Confidential Sonnet , A Fugitive Kiss , A Gun Solo , A Horror of London Town , A Kleptomaniac's Doom , A Pretty Little Land I Know , A Tram Car Ghost , An Ill Wind Blew him Good , Canticrank , Caught in the Breach , Heraldic Fruits , How they Enlist , I'll go for a Sojer , John McKune , Margate Sands , Ode Here! , Paradoxical Words , The Bedroom Curse , The Ghost of Hiram Smike , The Kindergarten Way , The Late Fitz-Binks , The Polis and the Princess Granauille , The Semi-Grand Piano , The Smuggler's Fate , Why did ye die? , Woman's Tears