Why we love poetry (and you should too!)
Poetry gets a bad rep - stereotypes like 'hard to read', 'pretentious' float around and excuses like 'I just don't have time to read, I'd rather spend my free time doing things' occur, when I mention I love to read and write.
But the fact remains that poetry sales are rising - so why is that?
Well I would say that
1. Poetry teaches us to reflect on the world around us - to take time out to appreciate what we have in detail; to look at nature as a thing of wonder and to zone in on details we may otherwise miss.
2. Poems make us reflect on our own feelings and experiences - and enable us to articulate these.
3. Writing poetry helps us remember - memories which we can re read at a later stage and smile, or painful memories which we can read to reflect on how far we have come.
4. Poems help us to relate our situations to others. We may realise that the world is much smaller than we initially believe - and feel closer to the people around us as a result.
Why do you read poetry? What do you love about it?