If you’re studying English, especially as a foreign language student, the vocabulary-boosting benefits of poetry are well worth the time you’ll invest reading it. Black Art Matters: Does Federal Law Protect and Preserve Protest Street Art? Catharsis: The act of creation — of making something out of nothing — is a cathartic experience. I think it makes me sharper and, the more I explore the well of my imagination, the faster it fills again. Select from the topic areas below to view related past Salons: Tweets by @Americans4Arts !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)? You’re lifting others up. Of all the benefits of poetry for children, this may be the most basic. Reason #2: When read aloud, poetry is rhythm and music and sounds and beats. In the way that they like, the author presents his or her poem. It can be an original or a poem that they’ve read with you. Poetry gives them a new way to create and imagine. Everyone can benefit from writing poetry, whether they want to share it or not, because it: 1. Benefits Of Poetry Poem by Sandra Feldman. Improves cognitive function. I like to share my poem ‘Eternal Happiness’ because it describes what I’ve found to be the source of my own eternal happiness. Source: Pixabay. Students relate to poetry more by thinking through the heart, rather than the brain. Emotional Benefits. When I have experienced a profound loss, the act of putting my feelings into words or memorializing and paying tribute to those who I lost is extremely cathartic. Helps heal emotional pain. Poetry tends to focus on life’s major moments. For some things, balloons and cake just don’t suffice. 5. Learning new words (I’m never without a Thesaurus), working out meter (math! Grief is one of the most painful emotions we experience, and it’s also the source of some of the world’s most inspirational poetry. When reciting poetry students are given the freedom to express feelings to their audience. 5. It benefits the child by improving the bond between parent and child. Poetry improves critical thinking by forcing a reader to think. Critical thinking: Through the expression of our thoughts and ideas, poetry pushes us to challenge ourselves intellectually. You can share your poem with me by tweeting a link to @rbjaffe or posting to my Google+ group, “Inspirational Poetry. Building Blocks for Fiction Writing, Hobbies, Mental Health, and You - Music Ditties, The Healing Power of Poetry - Tim Segrest, Educator Self-Care Ideas to Try Right Now – LELA House, Communicating with Poetry: The Search for Deeper Meaning. We would be wise to celebrate America’s poetry because it’s an art form that does as much—sometimes even more—for the writer as the reader. ", (This post is one in a weekly series highlighting The pARTnership Movement, Americans for the Arts’ campaign to reach business leaders with the message that partnering with the arts can build their competitive advantage. Poetry and Rhymes Help Develop Self Expressions. In 1981, The National Association for Poetry Therapy came into existence with the goal of using all forms of literature and language arts to help people release tension, grow in self expression, and to develop an understanding of self and others. As I mentioned earlier, we will be going in-depth about the benefits of poetry in my next post, but for now, just know that the importance of poetry for children cannot be ignored. 'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); Americans for the Arts serves, advances, and leads the network of organizations and individuals who cultivate, promote, sustain, and support the arts in America. Reading poetry makes you a better public speaker.. Everyone can benefit from writing poetry, whether they want to share it or not, because it: 1. I'd also suggest that people understand the poem in another way. As reading poems have many benefits and today here are some of the benefits of reading it. Katie has a beautiful way of describing what Poetry Teatime looks like from a student’s perspective and she points out that Poetry Teatime has so many more benefits than just learning about poetry. We talked about the benefits of reading and writing poetry for people in all age groups and professions, discovered some tricks for picking the perfect word whether writing poetry or prose. Your child’s poems can be made into pieces of art or they can perform a favorite poem at a “poetry open mic night” for the family. Over the years, many scholars and psychologists alike have seen the enormous benefits of incorporating poetry into therapy. Poetry allows kids to put language to use-to make it serve a deep internal purpose, to break rules along the way (grammar, punctuation, capitalization -- think of e.e. ), and finding new ways to articulate our thoughts and feelings (communication) are all good for the brain. The process of exploring my thoughts and feelings and expressing them in symbolic word images exercises my creativity in a fun way. Whether you want to stimulate your intellect or foster emotional health and well-being, poetry writing has many benefits to offer: Therapeutic: Poetry fosters emotional expression and healing through self-expression and exploration of one’s feelings. (And taxes, but Poetry Month is more fun.) Reading poetry is a creative endeavor in and of itself and it can certainly spark inspiration in your own life. Once we’ve done the work of exploring and finding our own answers, we can help others by sharing them. It can be taught as part of reading, writing, and language lessons, and it fits easily into classroom themes, projects, and celebrations. admin 1 day ago 2 min read. Unlike most other genres of writing, poetry was made to be read or... 2. Autoplay next video. Want to get smarter? This website contains affiliate links and earns commissions from qualifying purchases. Poetry provides many intellectual benefits to readers. By reading poems, children engage in various perspectives of the world in which we live. Therapeutic: Poetry fosters emotional expression and healing through self-expression and exploration of one’s feelings. April is National Poetry Month, inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets to celebrate poetry and its vital role in American culture. Developing perspective, empathy, and world views: Writing poetry often prompts us to look at the world from a variety of perspectives, which fosters empathy and expands one’s world view. 4. Improves Critical Thinking. One needs inspiration to write poetry while inspiration is also a driving … Poetry has a place in our curriculum. Moreover, the length of poems also ensures that students are less likely to feel overwhelmed or bored, before they even have begun. It has meaning. Be… Helps us celebrate! It has been psychologically proven that the human mind can only process... 3. They were even found to be more sociable … Being proficient in memorization, patterns, and sequences in turns give students an advantage in learning new languages, reading comprehension and mathematics. Language and speaking: The practice of poetry strengthens language, writing, and speaking skills. Illustration Courtesy of okalinichenko. 4. Poems are meant to be read aloud, spoken, heard, remembered, and passed on. It will also help you get command over any language and enhance your skills in literary devices. This post includes five reasons to teach poetry in the classroom. Writing poetry will strengthen your writing skills. 2. I love April, and not just because of my birthday and all those Final Four games! The academy sponsors events such as the star-studded Poetry & the Creative Mind Gala (April 17 at Lincoln Center in New York City) and mass-appeal activities like Poem in Your Pocket Day (April 18), when everyone is encouraged to carry a poem. Poetry also increases the empathy of the reader. Founded in 1960, Americans for the Arts is the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. It provides a safe way to vent, examine, and understand our feelings. One thing we know—we are not alone! And although it has taken many forms in the past couple of years—calling all Lang Leav fans—it still remains to … It brings out a public speaker from you: Poetry holds rhythm as its major component and it needs to read out loud which makes the reader more aware of the dynamics of language. It’s incredible how simple poems help children communicate better with others, and how they can establish friendships through poetry. If you improve the days of 100 people, even if it’s just a little pinprick of light in their busy lives, that’s lovely. Improves cognitive function. It was found from studies from the University at Buffalo that readers put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist, which in fact, makes them more sympathetic towards characters. Let’s get into the key benefits of writing motivational poetry. 3. Thanks to the poems I wrote at the time to capture those feelings, I can experience them again and again. 4. Learning Poetry in Toronto. Read on to find out what they are: Less intimidating for struggling readers. Leads us to greater self-awareness. There are many benefits to reading poetry with your students. Poetry brings all the benefits we can reap from reading fiction – fresh experiences and perspectives, a glimpse of distant or imagined landscapes, an emotional and empathetic boost – often delivered in easily digestible, bite-sized chunks. The Benefits From Reading Poems Improves Verbal Skills and Memory. If you’ve never tried your hand at poetry, I encourage you to give it a go in April. The number one thematic benefit poetry users cited was “understanding” — of the world, the self, and others. Not only does it help us explore and gain insight, we have something to show for all that “inner reflection” when we’re done. Proposing to my wife, the births of my children, their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, falling in love—these were among the most emotionally powerful, joyful times of my life. Poems inspire, educate, and cleanse. Mar 31, 2016 - It’s almost April, and you know what that means: Poetry Month. Empathetic Benefits. You might consider keeping a poetry response journal, documenting the facets of poems that reach out and touch you. We get it. For our kids who need small victories, mastering one … A wonderful evening chatting about “MAINE” & “POETRY” with old friends and new friends. Let poetry shape and inspire playtime. Helps heal emotional pain. People who write poetry exercise insight and sensitivity, sometimes in profound and … Universal questions, fears, and emotions are called ‘universal’ because everyone, no matter what country or culture they’re raised in, experiences them. Today, one of my former Poetry Teatime students is our guest contributor. Here is a fuller list of 16 benefits of writing poetry: Poetry provides a cultural context and expressive model that supports openness and emotional honesty. Poetry is a wonderful tool to use in promoting a child’s language development. There are many benefits to reading poetry with your students. And now that writing has become more abbreviated with blogs, text messages, tweets and the like, the time is perfect for poetry to make a big comeback. Provides a gift of inspiration or education to others. For English language learners, many students with IEPs, autistic students, and other exceptional learners, reciting poetry is an especially powerful way to understand language and build confidence. Poetry can be intimidating with all the requirements and the need for it to sound like an actual poem. The ability to interact effectively with others is another fantastic benefit of learning poetry. Cognitive function: Whether we’re searching for the perfect word, working out how to articulate a thought, or fine-tuning the rhythm and meter of a poem, the steps involved in crafting poetry strengthen our cognitive processes. cummings) and to find voice, representation, community perhaps. Most of us don’t have the time or desire to just sit and aimlessly ponder the meaning of our lives or what makes us deeply happy. Ready, Set, Write: A Guide to Creative Writing, What’s the Story? 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If you are reluctant to teach poe… It is endlessly interpretable. Learning new words (I’m never without a Thesaurus), working out meter (math! Intellectual Benefits. The audience was amazing at it! It can add additional value to our studies. 2. 7 Benefits of Writing Poetry. Self-awareness: Through raw expression of our thoughts and feelings, poetry can help us become more attuned to what’s going on in our hearts and minds. Write poetry! Unless you’re … Working creatively with sentence structures helps improve writing skills and creative thinking, and poetry is the perfect genre for introducing creative and interesting vocabulary to children. Self-awareness: Through raw expression of … Because poems are often short, they are less intimidating. A forum for today's leading arts professionals sharing their knowledge, thoughts and comments on the topics shaping the arts in our communities, schools and nation. The Therapeutic Benefit of Poetry by Phyllis Klein, LCSW and Perie Longo, PhD, MFT Poetry Therapy and the Impact of Poetic Dialogue From the beginning of time, poetry has been a means for people to express their deepest emotions and create healing in ritual and ceremony. Parenting and poetry, if observed closely, can be intertwined. Poetry Gives You New Ideas. ARTSblog holds week-long Blog Salons, a series of posts by guest bloggers, that focus on an overarching theme within a core area of Americans for the Arts' work. With rhymes, children can easily learn new words. Poem of the week activitiescan be easily implemented to strengthen language arts lessons. Visit our website to find out how both businesses and local arts agencies can get involved!). The varying forms force you to be concise.. Furthermore, having children read poems aloud … Connections: Many people write poetry privately, but when poems are shared, they can inspire, move, and honor other people, forging deeper interpersonal connections. While I love poetry month, I am also a big supporter of poetry all year! ), and... 2. Poetry being able to express oneself in a deep and profound way can be very useful to the reader as well, especially if that person is also affected by emotional or psychological issues. Poetry helps in language development, creative language skills, creativity, writing skills, self-expression, and in the development of natural rhythms. Writing poetry gives us a constructive way to do that. … Five Benefits of Poetry 1. People feel better about the poem and in the way that the author wanted them to feel. Some is deeply spiritual and contemplative, some is positively anarchic and surreal. Poetry is not definitive. Your email address will not be published. The joy of poetry is that it celebrates and explores the experience of living: the inner and unique world of thought and feeling, and the complex external world of Nature and how we interact with it. Creative thinking: With its emphasis on symbolism, metaphor, and imagery, poetry writing fosters and promotes creative thinking. What are the benefits of spoken word poetry? Facebook - National Arts Marketing Project, Twitter - National Arts Marketing Project, Instagram - National Arts Marketing Project Conference, Youtube - National Arts Marketing Conference, Envisioning My Future Self: Reflections from a Future Leader of Color. Sandra Feldman. Delight of delights, Heart burning lights, Writing Poetry, Even if not the best, Your soul is at rest, And your mind fancy free, Love reaching Poetry, That is what you are And will forever be. Read on to find out what they are: Less intimidating for struggling readers. The benefits do not end here. 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