Why read poetry?

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Nov 1 · 4 min read

Poetry: “literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.”

This branch of literature usually spikes irritation in many people for many reasons, but one in particular: It is boring. What really is the point of reading words arranged in fancy ways? Poetry is essentially art in the form of words, and one might argue that arts itself is not worth pursuing as a subject, as it has limited career options unless you are exceptionally talented. Most people nowadays associate poetry as more of a hobby or an interest than something which which should be studied at school. In a sense, this is true, as you won’t need poetic skills and knowledge at all to communicate with others nowadays. But regardless, just because we dislike it, does not mean we are necessarily short sighted of what value it could have.

I too, dislike it: there are things that are important beyond
all this fiddle.
Reading it, however, with a perfect contempt for it, one
discovers that there is in
it after all, a place for the genuine.

Poetry, by Marianne Moore

One obvious reason why reading poetry can benefit you, is one that is gained by simply reading in general: Expanding your vocabulary. Most poems rhyme, flow and use various poetic techniques to efficiently deliver whatever intention the author had, whether it was a message or simply to extract an emotion from the reader. Reading these poems allows you to observe what the author has done, and possibly learn from those methods and apply similar techniques in your own works. You can also learn new words, or phrases, or ways to word things, a lot of different words and sentences go into a poem in order to make it flow, rhyme or deliver a message. Most of these words aren’t usually used day to day, or are simply another creative way of wording something. This is a great way to expand your knowledge of the English language, or just knowledge in general.

Poetry is also known to be a good way of expression and a retreat from reality, reading poems can make you ponder about their meanings and analyse what the poem has to say, eventually finding ways for it to relate back to you, or the message it has to say. This is a great way to hone critical and analytical thinking skills, by doing so you are improving your ability to observe, be innovative and come to conclusions from what evidence you’ve gathered, and be overall a better thinker. This can be utilised in many fields of work and day to day activity, and will definitely come in helpful in a lot of situations.

According to this article, poetry can be therapeutic to read and write, it is mentally reassuring as you can explore feelings freely, vent about things and use your imagination to benefit yourself. As well as this, reading a poem can make your body respond to it in similar ways that you would feel while watching a movie or a TV show (chills, goosebumps, etc). This type of response is one of the main reasons why we watch movies and play games, and this is yet another way to achieve that response.

Some of you might be thinking, most of what you get from poetry is achieved from reading, is it not? Well, there is one key difference between the two, and that is length. A book is a commitment, it may take you maybe a day or so to finish, and it delivers it’s content through a buildup, climax and conclusion. A poem on the other hand, is short, sweet and gets you thinking straight off the bat. You get similar, sometimes less content from a book in a significantly smaller package, and that is where poems can be powerful. A few paragraphs could have people pondering about it for ages, never coming up with a true conclusion, they could have a deep meaning or even simply be a political rant or statement. They could fuel riots, stir emotions in people, the possibilities are seemingly endless, it just has to be done right.

“A good poem paints a picture

For both your heart and brain.

It doesn’t need a second chance

To make its meaning plain.”

A Good Poem, by Tom Zart

Bibliography

Kirsch, A. (2016) Why (Some) People Hate Poetry. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/10/why-poetry-misses-the-mark/497504/ [Accessed 29 Oct. 2019].

Timothy Beal. (2018) Why read poetry? [online] Case Western Reserve University. Available at: https://case.edu/firstyear/sites/case.edu.firstyear/files/2018-08/Why%20Read%20Poetry_818.pdf

Cody Delistraty. (2017) This Is What Happens to Your Brain When You Read Poetry. [online] The Cut. Available at: https://www.thecut.com/2017/05/this-is-what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-read-poetry.html

Melissa Donovan. (2019) The Personal Benefits of Writing Poetry. [online] Writing Forward. Available at: https://www.writingforward.com/poetry-writing/the-personal-benefits-of-writing-poetry

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