They're often stereotyped as being morose, depressed, lifeless, and altogether unenjoyable company. Some say this is because of the heavy weight of genius; if a woman sees the world in a way unique from all other women, that distinctive perception becomes a burden to her soul. It prevents her from bonding with other humans. Others will say it's because melancholic individuals tend to foster more poetic personalities. This too can make sense if you believe that poets notice the numerous, painful particularities of life that allow them to characterize this world so poignantly.
I, however, believe it's something altogether different that gives poets their macabre appearance: writing your own poetry is the surest way known to human kind to breed self-loathing. Try it some day when you're feeling really great about yourself. If you write a poem, you will be painfully aware the entire time of what an atrociously self-absorbed person you are. As you write you'll ponder to yourself, "Wow, this is really deep. I'm kind of enjoying this. I want to show everyone I know." But every self-indulgent thought will be laced with the knowledge that what you've written is probably drivel and if you show someone, you're more than likely to cry of embarrassment.
This is why poets are depressed: No one in this world is more painfully aware that their world revolves interminably around themselves.
