Short StoriesNo. 1146 · The 2026 edition
Halloween
A chilling verse that captures the eerie spirit of All Hallows' Eve.
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at en.wikipedia.org.
This poem explores the dark and mystical atmosphere of Halloween, with haunting imagery of jack-o'-lanterns, rustling leaves, and spectral visitors, evoking the thrill and mystery of the night.
About this
This page covers "Halloween," a poem by the Scottish poet Robert Burns written in 1785 and first published in 1786 within the Kilmarnock volume. It explains the poem's background and its likely debt to an earlier Halloween poem by John Mayne, offers a brief analysis of Burns's mixing of Scots and English, and notes the poem's length. An illustration and links to the original text are also included.
Facts from the original
- "Halloween" is a poem written by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1785.
- It was first published in 1786 and is included in the Kilmarnock volume.
- It is one of Burns's longer poems and employs a mixture of Scots and English.
- John Mayne, a comparatively obscure poet from Dumfries in South West Scotland, had attempted a poem on Halloween in 1780.
- Mayne's poem had twelve stanzas and noted Halloween pranks ("What fearfu' pranks ensue!") as well as the supernatural "Bogies" (ghosts).
- Mayne's poem appeared in Ruddimans Weekly Magazine in November 1780, published by Walter Ruddiman in Edinburgh.
- Burns apparently saw and was influenced by Mayne's composition, communicating with his work and echoing some of his imagery.
- According to Burns, Halloween is "thought to be a night when witches, devils, and other mischief-making beings are all abroad on their baneful midnight errands".
- Burns's poetry revolves around country and town life; using Scots alongside English, he gives an account of the charms of the West of Scotland.
- The poem has 28 stanzas.
- Edward Scriven's engraving of John Masey Wright's illustration accompanies the poem.
- English Wikisource holds the original text related to the article.
From the original
Robert Burns wrote "Halloween" in 1785, and it was first published in 1786 as part of the Kilmarnock volume. It ranks among his longer poems and blends Scots with English. The article traces the poem's background to John Mayne, an obscure poet from Dumfries in South West Scotland, who had tried his own Halloween poem in 1780. Mayne's twelve-stanza work, printed in Ruddimans Weekly Magazine in November 1780 by Walter Ruddiman in Edinburgh, mentioned Halloween pranks and "Bogies," or ghosts. Burns seems to have read and been influenced by Mayne, communicating with his work and echoing its imagery. Burns described Halloween as a night when witches, devils, and other mischief-making beings roam abroad on baneful midnight errands. The analysis observes that Burns's poetry centers on the country and town life he knew, and that his use of Scots alongside English, powered by forceful expression in both, captures the charms of the West of Scotland. A characteristics note states the poem has 28 stanzas. The page also features Edward Scriven's engraving of John Masey Wright's illustration for the poem and points to the original text at Wikisource.
