Why we should all read poetry

The psychological benefits of reading & writing poems

‘I have often been haunted by the notion that poets might understand human comprehension more fully than psychologists.’ John T. Guthrie.

As a psychologist (and occasional poet) I can empathise with Guthrie’s predicament. Often, I’ll read a poem or listen to poets at local events and wonder if they are depicting something that I, having studied and taught psychology for many years, have entirely missed. Is there something about the introspective nature of poetry that touches the human psyche in ways psychology cannot?

That said, many people do find it difficult to connect with poetry. It’s often viewed as beyond the reach of the ordinary person or overly pretentious. To be honest, there is certainly something to this assumption. Yet contemporary poetry is often highly accessible to people from every walk of life. But is it just a quaint pastime, or does it have some deeper value?

Poetry has been a part of human culture for thousands of years. Poetry’s curious form has been used to express emotions, tell stories and reflect on the world around us. Our ancestors would use poetry as vehicle to transmit their history from one generation to the next in times when the written word was rare and books even rarer. Poetry can be funny; it…