Poetry is a fairly recent addition to our list of possible therapies for use with the handicapped or disabled. Poetry can, and does add a new dimension and a new aspect to any well-rounded activity program. I have personally found poetry to be one of the most effective tools in dealing with the emotional problems of the mentally ill. Yet poetry can be adapted for use with almost any disability area, and can be used with almost any type of client that we service.

The word poetry scares a lot of people. Often we feel we don't know enough about the technical aspects, or we don't have a true understanding of all the complicated phrasing, structure, and types of poetry. Fear not! I sincerely feel that knowledge of the technical aspects of poetry is not what makes a good poetry therapist. Basically what I think is needed is simply an interest in poetry, an interest in your clients, and an interest in sharing and expressing feelings with other people.

Poetry, when used in a therapeutic setting, has several goals and objectives associated with its use. First, because of its nature, poetry can add a new dimension or a balance to an otherwise active, sports oriented program. It can help meet the needs of those clients who are not so active, or who have interests in the more refined, intellectual activities.

Poetry can also be used as an indicator of intellectual functioning and recognition of problem areas (thought disorganization, abstract thinking, etc.), and can provide an opportunity for self expression on the part of the client. I have sat through many stimulating, thought provoking discussions and debates related to a reaction to a certain poem or thought expressed in a poem.

Poetry affords a means for the participant to identify and express feelings and problem life situations through the process of analogous learning (i.e. application of the poem to individual situations). Poetry can also help to improve interpersonal interaction through a structured theme centered discussion, and may offer the participant a chance to experience creativity. Perhaps, most important, a poem may provide the means for a client to begin talking about himself indirectly, via the poem (a means of objectifying one's feelings).

Poetry can be used in both a structured, specific, goal oriented therapy session or can simply be used in an interest group or "club" setting. After several years in the mental health field, I have constantly come across poems, song lyrics, short quotes, stories, etc. that I felt really captured the thoughts and feelings of people with emotional or physical handicaps or problems. I decided to collect these and share them with our clients. Thus was the birth of our first Poetry Club.

We decided to invite any interested resident and we have a meeting once a week for an hour to discuss and share our ideas and feelings, using poetry as our medium.

What we basically did in our sessions was to pick two or three "appropriate" poems, have the residents read them aloud, and discuss our reactions and feelings about the poems. What we found was that our clients could indeed relate to specific ideas and feelings found in the poems, and were quite willing to discuss how they felt about a particular idea, thought or feeling.

We further discovered that our residents were not only interested in reading and verbally reacting to the poetry, but with some guidance were willing to write down their thoughts and eventually began composing their own thoughts in some kind of poetic form. We also experienced great success in eventually introducing various kinds and types of poetry, such as: The limerick, Cinquin Poetry, Haiku, etc.

We began introducing other therapies and ideas into our sessions. We would show pictures and works of art, or play famous pieces of music, and ask the clients to write down their responses in some sort of simple poetic form. We began taping our sessions and letting the residents listen to their reactions and readings of poetry. We began publishing their poems in our patient and staff newspapers. In short, we branched out into many new areas, and opened the way for patients to develop new interests and new ways of expressing themselves.

Poetry can prove a useful tool then, because it: 1. provides a means of identification with feelings; 2. aids in the expression of feelings; 3. provides an opportunity to experience creativity; and 4. serves to focus a client's thoughts and helps concentrate his/her feelings on a single topic, ideal or feeling.

We judge our success in many ways. I feel that poetry has been effective for us for two very simple, personal reasons. First, our Poetry Club was the only group I ever led where no one ever had to be reminded to attend or participate. Secondly, because one day, one of our group members said: "You know what I like about poetry?—It makes me feel good about myself."

There once was a man who was crazy
Although people thought he was lazy
He thought he was dead
No matter what people said
And the rest of the story's quite hazy
From: Luber, Raymond F. Jr. "Poetry, Rhyme and Reason in Therapy

References:

Leedy, Jack J., Poetry Therapy, Philadelphia: Lippencott. 1969.

Leedy, Jack J., Poetry the Healer, Philadelphia: Lippencott. 1973.

Luber, Raymond F., "Poetry Therapy Helps Patients Express Feelings." Hospital and Community Psychiatry; 24 (June 1973), p. 387.

Luber, Raymond F., "Poetry: Rhyme and Reason in Therapy", unpublished paper, 1974.

This article by Edward Kennedy, Director of Recreation and Patient Education at Dismont State Hospital in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, previously appeared in the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society magazine. It is reprinted with the permission of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society.

Illinois Parks ana Recreation 20 November/December, 1979