Poetry Power: How Poetry Heals
I can recall during my darkest moments how I would often turn to poetry in order to help.
I never really understood why poetry was able to help the way that it did, I just knew that it could. Whether it was during the dark days of depression, whether it was in the aftermath of a broken heart, or any other time when negative energy was at its peak, writing poetry was the greatest medicine I could have asked for.
The Language of the Soul
Simply put, poetry is the language of the soul. When our soul is in pain, when it has been beaten and bruised, poetry gives the soul the opportunity to speak out and release its anguish in a way that is healthy and productive.
The soul is pure creative energy, a vessel of love and the essence of our life force; words are a powerful way of expressing ourselves and poetry, with its various rhythms and different types of structure, which is a way for the soul to manifest our feelings into the physical world. It provides the opportunity to tap into the subconscious, where so much of what we feel and think exists.
What is Poetry?
There are many types of poetry:
- Slam Poetry
- Blackout Poetry
- Free Verse Poetry
- Rhymed Poetry
- Haikus
- Sonnets
- Blank Verse
- Therapeutic Poetry
Words Can Transform and Heal Us
Both reading and writing poetry can help us heal and transform, so the type you choose to try is up to you. Reading the words of another’s poet can open our eyes and lead us down the path of transformation and enlightenment. The words of a poet can change our lives forever.
Writing our own poetry gives our soul a voice and gives the conscious mind a break. The subconscious mind is a place of freedom and imagination, and when we write poetry, our conscious mind shuts down for a while and allows the subconscious mind free reign, which usually only has the chance to do during sleep or soul meditation.
Our soul is always trying to send us messages, and it does so in our dreams and during meditation sessions.
Listen & Transform
Poetry is another way for us to listen to our soul and heed its words. It can act as a mantra or even as an expulsion of our overwhelmed feelings. Some use poetry to check in on themselves by flowing onto the page without thinking, others structure their poetry to get their intentions down on paper. Whichever way works best for you, is the best way to write it, this is because there is no right or wrong way to write poetry.
Remember, the soul knows best!
How to Read Poetry
Back in the day, reading poetry would have consisted of going to the local bookstore or library and browsing the poetry section. There’s something delicious about picking up a book and smelling the pages as you flick through pages of poetry until you find one that resonates.
Today, a quick Google search can help you find the poetry that resonates with your own soul. Typing in “Poetry about a broken heart’ or ‘Poetry about depression’ or ‘Poetry about anxiety’ or anything that you need to connect with in that moment can gather hundreds of thousands of search results.
Words resonate; if you find one you like, you can print it off and stick it on your wall so it is there for you the next time the feeling hits again.
Related article: Written Emotions: How Journaling Heals Mental Blocks
How to Write Poetry
As previously mentioned, poetry is the language of the soul, and as every soul is unique and different, there is no ‘way’ in which to write poetry. For some, it could simply be a giving a ‘speech’ and then splitting it up, such as:
The long night,
Left me sad and weary.
I felt as though I could not turn back,
And there was no going back.
But on I went, through my struggles,
Believing the light was at the end of the tunnel.
Try Rhyming Poetry
Then you might prefer writing in rhyme. When writing rhyming poetry, it can help to think of the final word of each sentence first so that you can think of another word to fit with the last sentence. For example, during a time when I needed to conjure strength and courage within myself, I wrote the following:
My heart’s made of gold,
My soul is pure steel.
Loved ones shall rise,
Enemies will kneel.
I soothe with water,
Attack with fire.
For I am the master,
Of my own empire.
Try Affirmative Poetry
Then there is poetry which is quite sudden and hard-hitting. This type of poetry tends to have exclamation marks and words which appear to be ‘shouting’. Something like the following:
Are we alone?
NO!
Can we do it?
YES!
Believe in yourself!
Believe in yourself!
We can do it!
YES!
This type of poetry is like an affirmation, a chant that you repeat to yourself so that the message gets across. This type of poetry is particularly helpful when there is something you need to do and you feel fear or trepidation doing it.
Really, the way you write poetry depends on how your unique soul speaks. Humans don’t speak the same languages; neither do souls!
Conclusion
As a creative outlet, poetry truly is one of the most wonderful ways of expressing yourself. Whether you are a reader of it or a writer of it, the healing benefits of poetry are astounding and can help every one of us, no matter what we are feeling or what we are going through.
Our souls are beautiful, delicate things that come to a world that is harsh and challenging for many; allowing our souls to have a voice when they are in intense struggle or hardship is one way of replenishing ourselves so that we may be ready to face another day.
Is poetry not your thing? Let’s find out what is! Read this next: How to Find Your Create Outlet
