Let the Power and the Beauty of Poetry Lift Your Spirits
Some art forms require equipment, supplies, and space. But you can write poetry anywhere.
Later in life, writing, reading, and reciting poetry can help enhance our well-being. It can move us beyond sadness, increase our ability to express ourselves and understand others, and provide a bridge for new relationships.
Expressing yourself brings health benefits, including improved memory, lower stress and blood pressure, and long-term mood improvements.
Additionally, poetry provides prime opportunities to appreciate beauty and various emotions, and we could all use more of that.
In the US, April is National Poetry Month. And this April, in particular, is a good time to take a fresh look at poetry and the power it brings.
When we say poetry here, we’re applying the widest definition – not just the highly literary masterpieces we might have studied briefly in school. Poetry is, in fact, found everywhere. Think of your favorite songs, or messages found in greeting cards and advertisements.
As we’re spending more time at home, let’s take a moment to pull some poetry off the bookshelf, or find it online, and focus on the written word. How does reading a poem make you feel? What was the writer trying to share?
Sit down and express yourself in verse. You can follow a format or keep it free-form. You can rhyme or not rhyme. Describe how something looks, feels, smells, or tastes. Recall a memory. Describe your love…
Just choose each word carefully, and then see if you can think of a better word – more precise, less cliché.
Share your creation with a family member or friend. Or put it in a journal just for you.
It’s the experience that matters.
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