Writing Poetry As Therapy

Integrating the principles of Logotherapy and Existential Analysis with poetry as a therapeutic tool involves using creative expression to discover or rediscover meaning in life, especially when faced with suffering or adversity. This approach transforms writing from being a simple expression of emotion into a deliberate search for purpose.

What makes poetry such an effective means of understanding the crossover between our inner and outer lives is not the fluidity of our words, or our talent at writing, rather it is the commitment of words to paper and how we make sense of that.

The poet Vennie Kocsis wrote about her own motivation, “I don't write to impress. I write to live. To breathe through the ache, to process the unbearable, to carve light into memory. My pen is my spine, my page the heartbeat. I write to exist wholly; raw, real, and still rising.”

Poetry then, can be viewed as an exploration guided by a number of Logotherapy's core principles of which there are several steps:

1. Reflect on a life challenge: Choose a difficult experience - it can be from the past, or you may be in the midst of it now - and reflect on it. Consider questions like:

   • What did this experience teach me about myself?

   • What values did this situation test or affirm?

   • Is there an opportunity for growth hidden within this struggle? If there is, what does this look like?

     
     

2. Write freely and without judgement: Capture your thoughts, feelings, and if appropriate, memories related to the event. Structure doesn't matter at this point; the goal is to get as much onto the page as you can - and here I would recommend writing with pen and paper.

   
   

3. Find the "why": Review your free-writing and identify a moment or a single image that encapsulates a broader insight or truth. Use this discovery as the central theme for your poem.

   
   

4. Shape the narrative: Use poetic devices like metaphor and imagery to give voice to the deeper meaning you've identified. At this point, you can focus on the structure of the poem, helping you to organise and give form to an otherwise chaotic or fragmented experience.

   
   

5. Focus on contribution: Consider how the poem serves a purpose greater than your own healing. It might be something that you've written for someone else, to express something important, or to foster connection. Or you may simply write it to leave a record of your emotional resilience, filing it away with the expectation of returning to it when it feels right to do so.

   
   

6. Re-read and reflect: Read your finished poem aloud. Hearing your words can validate your emotions and solidify the insight you gained through the writing process. The final poem is a concrete symbol of the meaning you discovered, even if the circumstance itself remains unchanged.

Again, don't worry about how 'good' your poems are; you are writing for yourself so it is important not to become too fixated on process. The therapeutic value stems from the experience of re-encountering your thoughts and emotions.

I thought it'd be useful to include a selection of my own poems as an example: they are still works in progress therefore you might find them to be stilted and confused! There are also layers of meaning that make sense to me, and this is as it should be; all creative endeavours are deeply personal.

This poem was written when I was trying to make sense of my place in the world:

Past, Present & Future Speak

Look not to the aftertime,

with its nameless vistas,

untold stories,

and indefinable contours,

where desires are aggrandised,

and myths tumescent.

Look not to the latter days,

with their distorted imagery,

caustic memories,

and circumspect achievements,

where time is compressed,

and opportunities unrealised.

Look then to the present,

with its palpable urgency,

unexplored backdrops,

and breathless splendour,

where sentience is lionised,

and meaning avowed.

Despite the allusion of insight,

our perception imperfect,

juxtaposed against our mortality,

life unfolds sublimely,

the narrative imponderable,

but the purpose clear,

Where verisimilitude coalesces,

past, present and future speak,

their voices are heard,

their presence felt,

In the hearts of those,

with the gift of reflection.

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This next poem was written many years ago while walking the dog on a beautiful the beautiful Autumn day:

Nature’s Transcendence

Majestic in exquisiteness,

calming the soul,

and stirring the heart.

A perfusion of sweet light,

softly warms the skin,

causing the eyes to squint.

The trees deciduous,

yet ever present,

unmoved and unruffled,

by the autumnal zephyr,

silently pose,

on the banks of the brook.

The water rolls on lazily,

murky and deep,

eddies dance unpredictably.

Leaves drift by,

the heron stands zen-like,

and time moves on.

A sense of derealisation,

punctuated by mindfulness,

conveys the actuality,

of nature’s transcendence,

and our place in this domain,

that autumn is within us.

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When I found myself thinking about the current geopolitical situation I tried to make sense of it with this particular poem:

Nought Will Ever be the Same Again

Anathema to civilization,

riotous bellicosity, skirting reality

ringing obtusely, reverberating

unconsciously we recoil,

Can this be right?

A thawed cold war,

streams of hope meandered,

through hostile hearts,

new relationships forged,

mutual suspicion dissipated.

Now we shudder,

thoughtless pronouncements,

daily in frequency,

careering towards the precipice,

consequences unfathomable.

Embroiled in cognitive dissonance,

life’s fragility exposed,

egos pounding war drums,

what have we become?

have we not learned?

Dictators, despots and fools,

‘strut and stare’,

echoing the Scots bard,

malevolent verbal posturing,

wars and rumours of wars abound.

Driven down the blindest of alleys,

unwilling passengers terrified,

light erupts in an unbridled fury,

the Valhalla of naivety,

an irretrievable action.

Wordless at the unconscionable,

a mushroom cloud,

of vanity and nihilism,

technology warped,

writhing in perpetuity.

Nought will ever be the same again,

because we were mute,

a failure to remonstrate,

and to cry with passion,

‘not in my name’!

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This final poem I'm sharing needs no explanation. It is simple in intent and expression:

Si iterum amare non possum, in pace sum

In my dreams, you are there,

Radiant eyes, unforgettable smile,

A sense of awe and gratitude.

In my wakefulness, you are absent,

Empty heart, silent mind,

A sense of loss and dejection.

But life continues, asking questions,

Demanding answers, relentless pace,

A sense of meaning and purpose.

As I catch my breath, a brush with tranquility,

Questions die, verdict reached.

Si iterum amare non possum, in pace sum.

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