Poetry’s healing power

THOUGHTS of THE TIMES

One might argue that today’s harsh realities do not allow us the luxury of talking about poetry. But I am writing to say that poetry can help individuals and the whole society overcome and survive adverse realities. Poetry can be conducive for healing.

Poetry leads us, among other functions, to reflect on, and give new meanings to, various matters, phenomena or relations. Poetry can help you see one thing from many different angles. Through the process of reading or writing poems, illnesses or sufferings can be alleviated, even cured, or overcome otherwise, poetry therapists maintain.

As in Western countries like the United States, the virtues of poetry therapy are gaining recognition in Korea and there are university courses, academic societies and research organizations for poetry therapy.

I believe many Korean poems, like those by Kim Sowol among others, have contributed to healing the broken hearts of many Korean folks of certain generations one way or another.

We are immeasurably indebted to poetry although most of us have not been aware of such indebtedness.

If you happen to be a Christian suffering from insomnia and want to readily experience the healing power of poetry, I would like to suggest reciting Psalm 23 in the Old Testament when you try to sleep. Or, you could write a similar short poem yourself, praising God and expressing your beliefs and wishes. Anyone of any or no religion can write their New Year’s pledges in the form of a poem. Personally, I was greatly pleased and honored to be invited to the annual National Assembly’s Poetry Reading Evening a few years ago.

During the event, I was very moved to see the speaker of the National Assembly recite a poem by heart which had been written by a poet friend of his while most of us poets read from prepared texts. As far as we have such high-spirited, warmhearted politicians, there must be hope in our future, I assured myself. I really believe in the healing power of poetry.