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Why Write Poetry?
By Sebastien
Cole
Why
Write?
Writing poetry is not only for
black-clad bohemians in smoke-filled Parisian cafes. Anyone can
do it, and it is as fulfilling and therapeutic for everyone. Poetry
is primarily self-expression. It doesn't matter who you are, or
what you write about. You don't have to be a starving artist or
a tortured soul. Your experience is as valid as any. Therapists
have long seen the benefits of self-expression in the form of
diaries and poetry. It helps us to simultaneously examine and
scrutinize ourselves, our own personalities, motivations and behavior,
and also to look beyond our own identities to see ourselves as
part of the larger scheme of things, and to see the world clearly
and honestly. Writing a poem is a moment to sit back and think;
to look beyond our immediate concerns.
It may be that you want to express yourself or write about
your own experience. You don't have to have anything in particular
to say or any great message you want to convey to the human race.
You don't have to be a genius or a philosopher; it is enough to
be a normal human being who wants to write about their own life,
and writing is valuable for everybody. Writing poetry makes us
see things differently. It makes us stop and notice things. You
have probably already noticed things that make you want to write
a poem. Perhaps you wanted to write about your new born baby or
a beautiful sunset over the ocean. Or perhaps your motivations
are completely different. Perhaps you want to write about a failed
relationship or the loss of a friend. Once you begin writing,
you will find an endless source of poems inside yourself. You
will wonder why you never did it before, and you will start to
see the poetry in your everyday existence.
Not only will you begin to see things differently, but
you will also find that writing poetry makes you feel better.
It is incredibly satisfying to say what you wanted to say in a
poem. If something is bothering you, you will often find that
you desperately want to talk about it. This is why people go to
therapists. You will find that writing a poem about something
like this performs a cleansing effect. You will find that just
the act of really thinking about an issue and your emotional state
is helpful, and ordering your thoughts and clearly articulating
them even more so. You will also perhaps find that writing poetry
gives you a clearer sense of your own identity. Looking at a poem
or collection of poems you have written, you will feel less like
one of a crowd, more like an individual, and once you begin, you
will no doubt be surprised what you're capable of.
http://www.poetrymasterclass.com
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