Power of Poetry
The month of April is the National Poetry Month and was created in 1996 to celebrate the importance that poetry–and poets–have in our lives. Poetry’s place in mental health is long and storied, and you don’t have to look hard to find that connection. The act of bringing words into existence through poetry can act as a release–catharsis–for the writer. It can oftentimes even reveal new meaning and deeper understanding of emotions or events.
I have found that poetry has deepened my understanding of many concepts in therapy that are hard to express or otherwise understand. Poetry has a way of leaving space for the unsaid that stays with you, and allows time for the processing that is so necessary when dealing with new information or complex emotions.
During National Poetry Month, there’s many ways to celebrate, explore, and experience the many benefits of poetry: checking out a poetry collection from your local library, attending a poetry reading, participating in a workshop, or creating poetry of your own in your journal are just a few ways to start.
To read more about National Poetry Month check out the links below:
