This week: Writing Poetry as Therapy Edited by: Lilli ☕  
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You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
~ Still I Rise by Maya Angelo
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
~ If by Rudyard Kipling
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
~ Fire and Ice by Robert Frost |
It's not a myth. Reading and writing poetry can be highly therapeutic, as it helps us process emotions such as fear, sadness, anger, and worry. When facing a serious illness, tracking our progress and experiences can be a powerful and empowering experience. Another reason writing poetry can encourage healing is that it allows people to be gentler and more compassionate about themselves when they express their feelings in a poem. Yet another little-known fact I was surprised to read, writing poetry can improve our memory.
Poetry has been used as therapy since around 400 BC, when the Egyptians employed writing as a form of medicine. Poetry is a form of expression, similar to art. It involves the use of narrative expression to promote a sense of healing and well-being. As poetry therapist John Fox says in his book Finding What You Didn’t Lose (1995), “There is something deeply personal and private about poetry-making. It is a journey into the depths” (p. 185).
The best poems are written from the heart and are most often written when we have a sense of heightened emotions about something. They are raw, and the poems serve as forms of release. Writing poetry can also help us achieve a sense of clarity about our situations.
If you are interested in using poetry as a therapeutic tool, here are some tips:
 Keep a journal and to highlight important events; big or small.
Tell your personal story through a poem.
Practice painting images with word choices.
Read your poems out loud to hear and then fix the rhythm.
Resources:
Effects of a Poetry Intervention on Emotional Wellbeing in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients
Cathartic Poetry
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Poetry: July 09, 2025 Issue [#13228]
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