The Secret to Poetry |
Writing poetry can help a person come to grips with—or understand—what is in their mind.
Writing and reading poetry is an effective companion to talk therapy.
Prompts and rituals can help anyone get started with writing poetry.
April is National Poetry Month and a good time to consider beginning a poetry writing practice for yourself and/or your clients. Poetry is a powerful creative endeavor that keeps us in the moment and slows down time. It’s also a good way to practice mindfulness. What could be wrong with that?
Poetry is one of the oldest art forms, using imaginative, rhythmic, and emotional language to create images and evoke feelings. In fact, poetry is the voice of the soul. Poetry is also a form of storytelling; we know that our stories and experiences shape who we are. Poets have a way of putting feelings and images into words. They tend to have a keen eye for observation.
Writing and reading poetry can be empowering, providing insight into our conscious and subconscious minds. In their classic book, The Poet’s Companion, Addonizio and Laux (1997) emphasize the importance of being in touch with one’s shadow. They also write that poets must be willing to feel the emotions that come from facing the world and its unflinching truths. They talk about the concept of duende, a term coined by poet Federico Garcia Lorca, which describes the mystery, the roots that probe........