Poetry and therapy have a center we can usually recognize but not recognizable borders. The easiest identification we’re in that circle is the satisfaction of a useful change in perception or other kind of relationship with the lives we live. But it’s as much belief as definition. An open heart and open heart surgery can each be necessary but for fully different reasons, from fully different perspectives. The point for me is how they nurture or challenge my life to grow, deepen, expand or focus in a satisfying way. Which is why my favorite poets surprise me, sometimes with my own established feelings. And why “comfy chair” poetry doesn’t. And why I’m grateful Only Poems is provoking thought and feelings, not just depicting them. This is where poetry thrives.
Wow, what amazing prose poems! I’m usually not a fan of prose poetry (probably because I’ve never written a good one), but these are everything a prose poem should be; thanks so much for sharing. This is why poetry is therapy. Relating to others through reading poetry and sharing my own poems.
Thank you for this, TR! Prose poems never cease to surprise me, even as they might -- by their very definition -- scandalize some, haha. And yes, I agree with you, poetry is therapeutic precisely as a vehicle for communal expression (from a personal foundation).
This is an interesting perspective to think about. In my opinion, while the primary aim of poetry might not be healing due to being expressive, pursuing (writing/ reading) poetry might help in one's healing process. Especially when you find a community or even a handful of people who connect with your emotions it can be a very good let-out for pent-up emotions.
First, we have to be clear what we mean by therapy. There are so many kinds, official and others. It’s more accurate that poetry can be therapeutic. We can help ourselves deal with hurts, sometimes outreach our hurts, with our writing. We can also reach this result by reading others’ poems. And if we accept that healing is a process of improvement, not necessarily all or nothing, we can find healing in poems whether or not we overcome our own issues. But it’s not healing if we read a poem that helps us feel better about our issues because we feel recognized, feel less alone, but it doesn’t motivate us to change our relationship with our issues. That’s not therapy, that’s not healing. It’s pleasure in complacency. On the other hand, if I don’t have the childhood issues Sharon Olds writes about, she can still give me greater clarity about how to deal with others who have similar issues to hers, and inspiration about how to better see and deal with my own. Poetry doesn’t have to heal me. I do. But poetry is healing in my life because I find a poem good when it uplifts me, enhances my perception of myself in my world. And it’s more fun than surgery.
Hey Richard, really loving your comments. You bring up a good point here about distinguishing therapy from the therapeutic benefits of poetry. It's true, poetry can be a great way to explore and relieve emotions, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's therapy in the traditional sense. I like how you've highlighted that poetry can enrich and uplift us rather than directly heal.
And yes, much more fun than surgery haha (though sometimes rejections can feel like open heart surgery!)
I find reading and writing poetry can be incredibly healing. Learning to trust my voice (not stopping to second-guess myself on the page). Learning to listen deeper. Learning to be in the moment without judgment. Also, as a writer, simply coming back to writing was healing. In my life poetry is both a catalyst AND an experience of healing. It's a place to stop along the way, and it's the way itself.
Gosh, some of these comments are pretty much poems in the making. Yours included, Morgan! I feel this personally as well...poetry as a catalyst FOR and the experience OF healing.
Poetry is an attempt to put the feelings that stand out in brackets about an experience into words. It involves sharing the emotion -- and the material reality too -- with one's self as well as others. In that way it provides a therapy that honors the moment.
I think it was Coleridge right who said, poetry is the right words in the right order? So interesting to see it like that, and understand it in this way too alongside emotion which often feels like the opposite of order (so, chaos)!
Poetry and therapy have a center we can usually recognize but not recognizable borders. The easiest identification we’re in that circle is the satisfaction of a useful change in perception or other kind of relationship with the lives we live. But it’s as much belief as definition. An open heart and open heart surgery can each be necessary but for fully different reasons, from fully different perspectives. The point for me is how they nurture or challenge my life to grow, deepen, expand or focus in a satisfying way. Which is why my favorite poets surprise me, sometimes with my own established feelings. And why “comfy chair” poetry doesn’t. And why I’m grateful Only Poems is provoking thought and feelings, not just depicting them. This is where poetry thrives.
Wow, what amazing prose poems! I’m usually not a fan of prose poetry (probably because I’ve never written a good one), but these are everything a prose poem should be; thanks so much for sharing. This is why poetry is therapy. Relating to others through reading poetry and sharing my own poems.
Thank you for this, TR! Prose poems never cease to surprise me, even as they might -- by their very definition -- scandalize some, haha. And yes, I agree with you, poetry is therapeutic precisely as a vehicle for communal expression (from a personal foundation).
This is an interesting perspective to think about. In my opinion, while the primary aim of poetry might not be healing due to being expressive, pursuing (writing/ reading) poetry might help in one's healing process. Especially when you find a community or even a handful of people who connect with your emotions it can be a very good let-out for pent-up emotions.
Absolutely feel this, Akhila
It’s so cool to find another poet from Croatia, and from Rijeka nevertheless, like me ☺️
That's awesome Maja! Love when this happens!
First, we have to be clear what we mean by therapy. There are so many kinds, official and others. It’s more accurate that poetry can be therapeutic. We can help ourselves deal with hurts, sometimes outreach our hurts, with our writing. We can also reach this result by reading others’ poems. And if we accept that healing is a process of improvement, not necessarily all or nothing, we can find healing in poems whether or not we overcome our own issues. But it’s not healing if we read a poem that helps us feel better about our issues because we feel recognized, feel less alone, but it doesn’t motivate us to change our relationship with our issues. That’s not therapy, that’s not healing. It’s pleasure in complacency. On the other hand, if I don’t have the childhood issues Sharon Olds writes about, she can still give me greater clarity about how to deal with others who have similar issues to hers, and inspiration about how to better see and deal with my own. Poetry doesn’t have to heal me. I do. But poetry is healing in my life because I find a poem good when it uplifts me, enhances my perception of myself in my world. And it’s more fun than surgery.
Hey Richard, really loving your comments. You bring up a good point here about distinguishing therapy from the therapeutic benefits of poetry. It's true, poetry can be a great way to explore and relieve emotions, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's therapy in the traditional sense. I like how you've highlighted that poetry can enrich and uplift us rather than directly heal.
And yes, much more fun than surgery haha (though sometimes rejections can feel like open heart surgery!)
Beautifully said!
100%!
Poetry can be whatever the poet wants it to be and leaves an open door for the reader’s interpretation which can be better than the original intent.
Love framing the poem as a door left open! That should be a poem in itself
Hmmm…
I find reading and writing poetry can be incredibly healing. Learning to trust my voice (not stopping to second-guess myself on the page). Learning to listen deeper. Learning to be in the moment without judgment. Also, as a writer, simply coming back to writing was healing. In my life poetry is both a catalyst AND an experience of healing. It's a place to stop along the way, and it's the way itself.
Gosh, some of these comments are pretty much poems in the making. Yours included, Morgan! I feel this personally as well...poetry as a catalyst FOR and the experience OF healing.
Poetry is an attempt to put the feelings that stand out in brackets about an experience into words. It involves sharing the emotion -- and the material reality too -- with one's self as well as others. In that way it provides a therapy that honors the moment.
I think it was Coleridge right who said, poetry is the right words in the right order? So interesting to see it like that, and understand it in this way too alongside emotion which often feels like the opposite of order (so, chaos)!
Poetry is, without doubt, a form of healing. Learning to express oneself clearly and in a healthy way is a valuable, restorative, health-giving skill.
"health-giving skill" -- yes!!