by Paul Rance

Created on: May 23, 2010

Hearing or reading poetry has always been recognized as having the power to move and to console, but writing poetry can been similarly powerful and therapeutic.

Writing poetry can be an outlet for someone going through a period of deep personal sadness in their lives. Writing thoughts and feelings down on paper can act as a release for those feelings, rather than bottling things up. It is very important to use poetry to help you through things if you feel an inclination to write. Do not think that you have to be impervious to pain. You can write in private, or share your poetry with others who will empathize with you.

Everyone has their way of dealing with life's problems, but some people struggle to open up and express their feelings openly. Some prefer to keep their own thoughts private, and, for instance, cope with their anguish in a more insular way by writing poetry. Some people may be naturally outgoing, but retreat into their shell during a hard phase of their lives, and write their feelings down, but plan on revealing their poetry at a later date.

Poetry can be a very intense medium for releasing feelings of sorrow over many things, from having one's heart broken through a relationship breaking up to bereavement. Though some would question the retreat into poetry, and see it as troubling, it is far better to find a way of releasing one's pain through poetry, than just pretending everything is okay, or crumbling to such a degree that one finds life extremely difficult to cope with.

There is also the really positive aspect of writing poetry when suffering, because you are really turning a negative situation into a positive one, and for people new to writing poetry, a whole new world has been opened up to them, and poetry may remain important to them for the rest of their lives.

No one who writes poetry when distressed should be looking to write a breathtaking piece of work. It is a release for your sadness, and poetry, in this instance, is a vehicle for helping you through a difficult time in your life. If a creative spark has been ignited, then obviously that is wonderful, as you will be getting a long term benefit through writing poetry as well as a short term benefit. But writing poetry as a form of therapy can work. Not in all cases, but it is amazing just how therapeutic writing poetry can be.

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