"A poet’s work [is a way] to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it from going to sleep" ~ Salman Rushdie
"Poetry? Reading poetry? In my free time??"
You're not convinced.
Well, unless you're majoring in languages or happen to really love reading, chances are you haven't read a poem since you were forced to do so for your English and Maltese O'levels.
Evidently, this saddens me to such a great extent that I decided to put together a blog post just so that I can try to persuade you, or guilt you, into taking up poetry reading. And don't you dare say: "m'għandhiex x'tagħmel din?" 🥴
"I wasn't gonna say that... but really... why should I?"
Good question. I can think of at least 5 good reasons.
1. Poetry is quick to read
When people see me reading (or hear me going on and on about how good the book I'm reading is), they often say: "ah, I wish I had time to read, but I don't, so I won't". To some extent, this is understandable. We're so caught up in our hectic routines that we argue that there's simply no time to pick up a book. Luckily, however, and this may blow your mind a little bit, poetry books exist, which are collections of actual poems.
And poems are short. They are mostly one-pagers and can also be as short as two lines. I think it's safe to say that I have hereby solved your problem; you can easily fit reading one or two pages in your busy schedule, even if this is the last thing you do before you sleep.
2. Reading poetry is therapeutic
In general, reading can be something you do in your spare time to unwind and relax. Now reading poetry can be extra therapeutic in that you may find that you relate to the thoughts poets put on paper. Sometimes, they transcribe feelings and ideas that are so complex you feel you can't put them into words. But poets do, and they do this so beautifully that every stanza you read can be like a free therapy session.
3. Poetry makes you think
Whether it is to decode a certain figure of speech or to evaluate your life in general, poetry makes you think. And not just that, poetry encourages you to think critically. I repeat: poetry "point[s] at frauds, take[s] sides, start[s] arguments, shape[s] the world, and stop[s] it from going to sleep". Don't go to sleep, reader. Think. Think about the frauds and the arguments and the bias and the propaganda that are so gracefully captured in poetry.
4. Poetry connects you to the poet
As I've quoted in a previous blog post (I really like this quote), "poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (William Wordsworth). Indeed, poetry can be very raw. Individuals tend to expose their souls and feelings in an unparalleled manner in a poem. As a result, readers are bound to feel a powerful connection with the poet, who is oftentimes a human being that is not afraid to share his/her pain and vulnerabilities. They are also very likely to feel that they are not alone in feeling a particular way.
5. Poetry is art and it should be appreciated
Just like the colours and strokes on a painting make it art, words and their effect in a poem make poetry an equally powerful art form. Many are willing to pay a significant amount of money to buy a painting, but are not willing to show their appreciation to poets. Let's stop this injustice and give poets and poetry the love they deserve.
Great, so I'm expecting this from you from now on:
To make things easier for you, I'm also recommending some poetry books you can read:
Il-Poeżiji Miġbura - Oliver Friggieri
Il-Poeżija Maltija - Antoloġija miġbura b'daħla minn Oliver Friggieri
Milk and Honey - Rupi Kaur
The Sun and her Flowers - Rupi Kaur
Home Body - Rupi Kaur
The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson
Happy reading!
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