Source: CCO Creative Commons
April is National Poetry Month—perhaps a good time to review the positive aspects of reading and writing poems. Poetry is a genre of writing in which succinct, vivid, and intense language is given to feelings, images, and ideas. It is a snapshot written from the inside out. William Wordsworth defined poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of feelings; it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility…”
Typically, a poem has a distinct rhythm. Poetry can also share transformative moments or revelations. Regardless of the type of poem, poetry uses an economy of words; therefore, every word is important. The more specific the poem, the better it is. The best poetry inspires readers to reflect, dream, reminisce, observe, and fantasize. Poems are written in fragments, and each line should have a singular image and feeling.
Reading and writing poetry encourages a certain interconnectedness and helps establish a sense of community between oneself and others. In other words, poetry can help us feel as if we’re part of a larger picture and not just living in our isolated little world. We learn that other people have embarked on similar journeys and have similar feelings about where they’ve been and where they’re going.
As most writers and therapists know, writing and reading poetry can be a springboard for growth, healing, and transformation. When we read a good poem, we have the opportunity to be forever changed by the poet’s words and message. We tend to be most transformed by poems where the poet expresses emotions or feelings we might be experiencing ourselves. For the most part, poets help us see a slice of the world in a way we might not have in the past. Poetry also offers insights into both the human psyche and human behavior, and it’s a place where the imagination can roam free.
Writing poetry can be healing and transformative because poems reflect the voice of the soul. Writing poetry is also a way to nurture a mindfulness practice because when writing poems, we have the chance to unleash the unconscious mind. Sculpting our feelings and thoughts into a poem can take us on a journey where the conscious mind actually takes a little holiday. Writing poetry is a time to loosen up and allow the freedom of self-expression at a time when it is often needed the most.
Writing poetry allows us to tap into our authentic voices, which can lead to self-realization. It can also be a form of meditation because it encourages a sense of mindfulness and the ability to tap into what we’re feeling, seeing, and experiencing at the moment of writing. Henry David Thoreau once said that if we sit in a clearing long enough, the animals will come out of the woods and present themselves. Figuratively speaking, this also happens when we write poetry: all sorts of surprises can come to light.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empowerment-diary/201904/how-poetry-can-heal
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https://arts.cgu.edu/tufts-poetry-awards/understanding-trauma-the-healing-process-of-poetry/
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Poetry has in many ways healed me. And truly such is a gift that other means were tried and had failed to do. Perhaps one may have not ever thought of it that way, yet such is the case. Why else would so many poets be so dedicated to it? Robert J. Lindley, 1-22-2020