• 17th July 2021

THE MAGIC OF POETRY

One of the hardships of the current age is the ability to understand one another. Miscommunication and misunderstandings have led to mass amounts of frustration. Reading and writing poetry gives people the improved ability to understand others. From a writer's perspective, you have to be able to convey the true nature of your writing to an unknown reader. That means diving deep into what parts you want them to understand, what you want them to feel, and what to take home with them that will resonate long after reading. For a reader of poetry, it gives you the patience to look into someone else's mind and cultivate empathy for another person. Both conveying personal opinion and the ability to empathize are tantamount to respectable communication. The reader and the writer possess the quality of Understanding, Tolerance, Patience, Endurance, Hope etc. Poetry puts your observations, opinions, and even train of thought out in the open. Once people see how you think, they might have a feeling of why you say what you say, do what you do, or react as you do.

 

Poetry can make it easier to step into the shoes of someone else. Due to this, poets are some of the first voices to protest social and political injustices; they are some of the first to mourn losses, cultural and personal; and they are some of the first to rejoice in the wonders of the living in and for the world.

 

Poetry is perhaps one of the most versatile of literary forms since it can convey great emotion, lyrical aesthetic, and a story all at the same time. It is some sort of a midpoint between songs and stories. And yet for all its magic, poetry is found in our daily speech. It uses words that are known to all of us, but in a sequence and order that surprises us out of our normal speech rhythms and linear thought processes. Its effect is to illuminate our lives and breathe new life, new seeing, new tasting into the world we thought we knew.

 

Poetry allows children and adults alike to explore the English language. Mixing words in sentences to find the right fit to create a sense of rhythm and flow. Poetry is real. Real people have written it to express real emotion that is normally hidden. Poets write to show that people have felt certain things before which someone else may be experiencing at another time. A poem allows you to see beyond the surface. Sometimes this is done through metaphors or other abstract ways which cause you to think. Beauty is expressed, and art is emphasized through poetry.

 

Poetry is typically short but largely emotional. Writers get in touch with sentiments they might not have known they had until it was down on paper. Depression and anxiety are among the top two mental illnesses being treated with Biblio-therapy, and through poetry, one can start to understand the hindrances and blocks being formed around their mind. Expressing how one feels is difficult. I've found that poetry is one of the best outlets. For those who have a harder time expressing themselves, reading poetry can have a similar positive effect as writing it. Reading poetry allows one to see into the soul of another person, see what is weighing on their minds and their hearts, and can open doors to feelings that are sometimes suppressed until that door is opened. Reading can shine a light on all those dark and hidden crevices of the heart and mind once thought permanently closed off to the world.

I think Phyllis Klein from Women's Therapy Services said it best; "Turning to poetry, poetry gives rhythm to silence, light to the darkness. In poetry, we find the magic of Metaphor, compactness of expression, use of the five senses, and simplicity or complexity of meaning in a few lines".

 

Poetry is a form of expression. Writing lets us get out our feelings and thoughts on a subject while reading it encourages us to connect and find meaning in our experiences.

 

Jeanette Winterson, a poet, and writer, once said, “It isn’t a hiding place. It is a finding place.” 

 

Communication is essential for life to continue. So the reading and writing of poetry are very involved with the interplay and dialogue between humans. Without poetry, life would be a very long lecture on morality. It is a way for young writers to let off steam and dream without being judged. Poetry can give you insights into yourself that you never knew existed but always wanted to understand. There is no greater sadness than not knowing one’s self-worth, but there is no greater power than complete understanding of one’s identity, Poetry can give you that power.