Why Read Poetry?

By: Yu-Chan Moriguchi

10/30/2019

Art is a manifestation of the kind of special beauty that can be so rare to find in our everyday
lives. It can exist in so many forms whether that be in the visual arts of cinema, the performing
arts of music or perhaps most importantly, in literature. While novels and plays can cause us to
question our beliefs, revel in the imagination and be consumed by a feeling so enticing, nothing
can elicit such a powerful and emotional feeling like poetry. While poetry may be revered by
many for its supposedly pretentious and incomprehensible construction, it is in discovering all the
details that are hidden in these works of brilliance that make it poignant in a way nothing else can
possibly match.

There is something so innately beautiful in the construction of poetry. The idea that a limited
number of words can be crafted together in a way that creates such meaning and emotion is truly
remarkable. That is exactly why poetry is simply so much more impactful than standard prose can
possibly be. It is through the restrictions which the author places on themselves that magic
happens. There must be deep thought and focus on every single word and how it contributes to the
grander meaning which the poet wishes to get across to the reader.

Reading poetry is so beneficial particularly due to how it challenges us as individuals to explore

new perspectives and break free of our ethical, moral and intellectual barriers. An article from
Paste titled, “Why Read Poetry? Because It Can Make You More Empathetic”, explores this
concept of how poetry allows us to be less rigid in our thinking with an authentic, personal touch.
When you read poems, nothing is often straightforward. Every poem has a meaning hiding under
it, but it is blocked by a myriad of literary devices such as metaphors and symbolism. It is
important to be able to think more figuratively because it allows you to understand ideas and
perspectives in a more abstract and possibly more meaningful way.
The first verse of “Death is Nothing at All” by Henry Scott-Holland
A poem titled ‘Death is Nothing at All’ by Henry Scott-Holland, perfectly exemplifies how poetry
allows us to understand a concept more meaningfully such as death in this case. It is a poem about
someone who has gone into the afterlife who is attempting to comfort the loved ones they have
left behind. This particular line, “Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow
upon it’’ is used to describe how when we say the name of someone that we have lost, there is
always a melancholy feeling that comes along with it, reminding us of the ‘ghost’ of our past.
While you could simply describe the pain and tragedy that comes with speaking a loved one’s
name literally, the metaphor that has instead been chosen is far more impactful and poignant. To
describe a loved one as though they are an ethereal being by your side symbolises how people try
to hold onto the fond memories of their loved ones despite their passing due to the deep
connection which they shared. The poem manages to provides us with an emotional
understanding of grief in a new, almost abstract perspective which we may never have considered
before. It’s that abstract meaning that can only be discerned through the art of poetry instead of
simply stating the obvious.

It’s not only that poetry allows us to understand ideas and emotions in a far more meaningful way,
but through continually reading poetry, we ensure that these ideas are constantly being recognised
yet in new and innovative ways each time the words come off the page. An article from TED
Ideas titled, ‘What happens when we read poetry?’, explores the idea of poetry being an event
which is reliant on readers to bring it alive. When you truly think about it, poetry is meaningless
when it has been left to gather dust on a piece of paper. It is simply a memory of an idea conjured
up by a writer with something to say. Poetry must be read, it needs to be experienced because it
keeps these ideas burning. These meaningful concepts about the nature of life, death and
everything. Every time a person reads a poem, a new bright spark emerges in that person’s head.
A new way of thinking, a new way of understanding. That is exactly why poetry must be read.
In a poem titled ‘In Memory of W.B Yeats’ by W.H. Auden, there is a significant line regarding
the grand effect of poetry. This line, “For poetry makes nothing happen: it survives”, suggests the
concept that poetry is never truly alive nor dead. The ideas and hidden messages in every poem
will always outlive the writer who first penned down those very lines. Another line later in the
poem describes poetry as a “way of happening”, in that poetry is an event which occurs though
not in exactly the same way each time. What one poet thought when they wrote a poem will never
be exactly the same as what the reader thinks of it. Yet isn’t that the magic of poetry, why we read
poetry. We read it to be enlightened, to be invigorated. To push away from our current mindset,
explore something even more enticing and emotionally groundbreaking. Poetry must continue to
be read so that we continue exploring new ideas and discerning the meaning of seemingly normal
concepts. It allows us to become better people, more in touch with our humanity.

An article by The Cut, ‘This Is What Happens to Your Brain When You Read Poetry’, describes a
feeling when reading poetry aloud known as the “pre-chill”. It is when you are reading a poem
significantly evocative and meaningful and you subconsciously anticipate the emotional catharsis
in the climax of the poem. Reading poetry is undeniably a pleasure of an entirely unique style and
the effect that it has on you transcends the confines of its literary format. Poetry may be daunting
at first, but once you’re absorbed in a world where nothing is as it seems, you will be forever
changed. That is certainly for the better.

Bibliography

Psychology Today. 2019. Iain Thomas: Why Read Poetry? | Psychology Today Australia.
[ONLINE] Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/one-true-thing/201710/iain-
thomas-why-read-poetry. [Accessed 21 October 2019]
pastemagazine.com. 2019. Why Read Poetry? Because It Can Make You More Empathetic —
Paste. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/08/why-poetry-
matthew-zapruder.html. [Accessed 23 October 2019]
ideas.ted.com. 2019. What’s the point of poetry? | . [ONLINE] Available
at: https://ideas.ted.com/what-happens-when-we-read-poetry/. [Accessed 25 October 2019]

The Cut. 2019. This Is What Happens to Your Brain When You Read Poetry — Science of Us.
[ONLINE] Available at: https://www.thecut.com/2017/05/this-is-what-happens-to-your-brain-
when-you-read-poetry.html. [Accessed 25 October 2019]

Family Friend Poems. 2019. Death Is Nothing At All By Henry Scott-Holland, Famous Death
Poem. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/death-is-nothing-at-
all-by-henry-scott-holland. [Accessed 22 October 2019]

In Memory of W. B. Yeats by W. H. Auden — Poems | poets.org. 2019. In Memory of W. B.

Yeats by W. H. Auden — Poems | poets.org. [ONLINE] Available
at: https://poets.org/poem/memory-w-b-yeats. [Accessed 25 October 2019]