Poetry from time immemorial has been an alternative form of therapy in times of depression.
Poetry has always been accused of carrying one from something real to something unreal, from something factful to something fictitious and to top it all, of offering a flight of escapism from the harsh reality of life to fanciful world. But very few have spared a thought that poetry, through its sublime magical wand, offers a solace to the grieving heart and a balm to the perturbed soul. William Wordsworth, a celebrated English poet, has rightly said, ” Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. It takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility. ” Poetry is the perfect outlet of feelings and emotions. Poetry in all modes – be it reading, writing, reciting or listening – engages our senses coupled with our emotions that in turn captures our minds, touches upon our hearts and is felt deep in the inner recesses of our souls. It can sharpen listening, attentiveness, observation, analytical skills, enhance empathy, self-awareness, and introspection. Poetry as an art heals our mind, heart and soul therapeutically.
Brevity, as we know, is the soul of wit. This stands equally true with poetry. On one hand, writing poetry requires a poet to be extremely disciplined with his choice of dictions to sketch a clear imagery of what he feels and emotes out. On the other, writing verses entails the usage of economy in words while understanding poetry merits doing anatomy of words to drive home the point the poet hits at. This brevity of words and the sketches drawn through his mindscape adds flavour to the poetry and serves to appeal the reader’s mind.
Penning a piece of poetry asks for a honest and unadulterated outpourings of our feelings that go down on paper. Each and every word that is woven in poetry wallows themselves in the pool of the poet’s feelings and emotions and is cathartically released to metamorphose into an orchestrated poem. Poetry’s powerful healing attributes have been documented during both World Wars and the American Civil War. Poems were indited by the then poets who were directly or indirectly engaged in wars. Some poems were read to soldiers to either infuse motivation and patriotism and on some occasions to help them cope with trauma and the brutalities of war. As the situation demanded, doctors would pick up pen and write poems for their distressed patients and emotionally connect with them. A burning example of this is John Keats who also trained himself as a doctor. Poetry as a potent device has also been used by modern day doctors and physicians at universities abroad such as Yale University School of Medicine and University College London School of Medicine. The use of poetry continues to grow and carve a niche as a well-recognised form of therapy. Almost all nations across world have been lashed out by the whip of Coronavirus pandemic and all souls have been reduced to a depressed lot. To elevate them out of depression, poetry as a psychological anti-depressant has come up to boost their moods and educate and sensitise them about Government issued guidelines and protocols and Covid-appropriate behaviours as well. More and more psychotherapists across the Western countries have found solace in poetry therapy as part of their practice during such emergencies.
Poetry, as a powerful piece of literature with the brevity of its words, is something that lures the readers to be pored over as the task itself is less time-consuming as compared to its other large literary genres such as stories, plays, memoirs, travelogues, novels and the like. Rhymes, rhythm, metre, thoughts, imageries, poetic devices, choice and beauty of dictions all make the reading of poetry highly appealing. The musical nature of poetry is what makes this literary genre stand out unparalleledly head-high in the realm of literature. This is why poetry, in whatever forms it may be, is a popular stress buster for all souls. One of all-time favourite poems for stress relief is ‘Leisure’ by W H Davies:
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
Humanity all around the globe has borne the brunt of the worst pandemic that has ever happened in the history of human memory. Lockdowns after lockdowns drove men to stay pent up in their homes. Countless families mourned the loss of their loved ones and many people with the loss of their jobs faced the threat of a bleak future looming large before them. That’s what accounted for depression everywhere. People would cope up with such difficult times in different ways. Some found that praying gave them strength and resilience when life was stressful. Others found yoga, walking or meditation exercises helpful. In such times of crises, poetry much like other forms of creative art came as a balm to the distressed souls.
Curiously enough, for some, poetry can be a form of prayer. The two are very much intertwined. Almost all religious and spiritual prayers are themselves in the form of poetry. The Psalms, which form the basis of the daily prayer of the Church, are poems and songs written for various occasions. A poem is not necessarily something that we deck out at special events such as a wedding or christening or even a funeral. If read daily, poetry offers a sort of mental and spiritual balm that can help us elevate our moods and purge us of all ills plaguing our mind, heart and soul. Let the words of Dylan Thomas, a Welsh poet sum it up : “Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toe nails twinkle, makes you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are alone in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering is forever shared and forever all your own. “
By Md Ahtesham Ahmad,
Andal, West Bengal ( INDIA )
