1 The Benefits of Poetry
“There is not a particle of life which does not bear poetry within it.”
Poetry: The Benefits of Words and Wordsmithing.
Poetry for the Mind, Body, and Soul
The beat, rhythm, and rhyme of poetry that move me, the mystery, metaphor, and allusion that lure me, the streamlining of words and profusion of thoughts that meet with me, entirely engage me-the all of me: my mind, my body, and my soul.
Poetry benefits my mind. Intellectually, poetry stimulates me. Becoming aware of or finding the perfect word to express a thought with exactness, strengthens my mind. Words read and written in rhyme with rhythm and meter stimulate my cognitive process and bolster my positivity. My mind awakens. While reading and writing, I increase my mastery of words - enriching and illuminating my bank of vocabulary. Grappling with meaning conveyed through imagery and literary devices expands and elevates my thinking.
Poetry is good for my body, both my physical body individual and my body collective, in a societal sense. As for the physical, while enhancing positive mental activity, my brain is strengthened. When spoken, the words loosen my jaws, my cheeks, my tongue, my throat and even my ears, relieving tension and stress. Poetry increases my verbal skills, helping me to speak with confidence and clarity and to listen with an attentive patience. As for the body collective, simply reading a poem opens my mind to another, and as I join into conversation with the poet, I find that I am not alone. While working with poetry, I cultivate interpersonal skills such as understanding, openness, empathy, and patience. Poetry helps me to connect with others. Sharing a poem, connects me with others and creates community. I can share my thoughts and feelings with others, and grow to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. As poetry enhances my verbal skills, my communication skills also improve, and I become more open to listening to the opinion of another. I learn to process proactively rather than reactively. Miscommunication is minimized- what a prize! And too, I find it marvelous how the iambic pentameter of the sonnet and villanelle, the most common meter in English poetry, mimics the sound of the heart beating: da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM - how very intimate! It is my body that inspires that rhythm and the rhythm that brings a comfortable feeling of rightness with my words.
Poetry is good for my soul. Engaging in this ancient art of shaping and shifting words, I am fascinated how each is carefully crafted and perfectly placed for sound and meaning. Poetry inspires me and is an outlet for my inspirations. Poetry is therapeutic. I commemorate with poetry. I celebrate with poetry. Thoughts and feelings can be clarified and articulated. I become more self aware and a depth of being is realized. My mood is boosted and all depression is dispelled. I express myself freely and suppressed feelings are released! And the poem, the poems I produce are tangible - delighting my soul - and my all - my mind - my body - and my soul~
I do hope you will join me for this series. I will be posting every day. Until next time - remember - stay CHARMED!
Questions
Do you like reading or writing poetry?
Is poetry important to you?
Do you have a favorite poem?
Have you considered how beneficial poetry is to your body, mind, and soul?