Shamoneness
Shamoneness
Dec 31, 2012

The Corridor (A Prose Poem)

Creak Creak.
The wooden steps beneath my feet as I walk deeper down the dungeons corridor. The light of the lantern above leads me, though I know not where. Brick laid walls are all I see, the dimensions seemingly coming closer with each step.
Turning and turning, lower and lower.
Haunting vibrations run through my spine as I hear a shrill noise. Bellowing voices call out below, like cries from the depths of hell.
Further still, I venture.
My fingertips touch the bricks; a thick slimy liquid coats each curvature. A grotesque odor permeates through the ghastly couloir, getting heavier with each loathsome gait. Soon enough, I recognize it as that of sulfur.
Luminous flickering light reflect against the bricks, confirming the fiery sulfuric smell.
The light brightens into a blinding glow.
At last, I reach the end of the corridor. The light stands before me, and nothing more.

About This Poem

Review Request Intensity: I appreciate moderate constructive criticism

Editing Stage: Editing - draft

About the Author

Region, Country: Michigan/USA, USA

Favorite Poets: Edgar Allan Poe

More from this author

Comments

weirdelf

And it wouldn't take much work to convert it from prose poem to poetry. Consider.

Creak Creak.
The wooden steps beneath my feet
as I walk deeper down the dungeons corridor.
The light of the lantern above leads me,
though I know not where.
Brick laid walls are all I see,
the dimensions seemingly coming closer with each step. [need to edit this line]
Turning and turning,
lower and lower.
Haunting vibrations run through my spine
as I hear a shrill noise,
like that of the highest pitch ever heard by man. [could use a metaphor here]
Bellowing voices call out below,
like cries from the depths of hell. [lose 'like']
Further still, I venture.
My fingertips touch the bricks;
a thick slimy liquid coats each curvature. [curvature in bricks?]
An indescribable odor permeates through the ghastly couloir, [sic colour?. you can do better than 'indescribable']
getting heavier with each loathsome gait.
Soon enough, I recognize it as that of sulfur. [lose 'it as that of' ]
Luminous flickering light reflect against the bricks,
confirming the fiery sulfuric smell.
The light brightens into a blinding glow.
At last, I reach the end of the corridor.
The light stands before me,
and nothing more.

Great ending!
All the above just suggestions, but I like this as a poem and the ambiguous subtext.

Shamoneness

so much for the critique! Though i like this as a prose poem, i'll considering turning it into a poem.
I agree with most of your suggestions, and have made a few changes.
By curvature i meant the curving as your turning down..but i guess that doesn't really make sense, now that i think about it.
& "couloir" is actually another word for corridor.

Thanks!
Amber