Mindful Poetry
“A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.”
ROBERT FROST
Come and travel with us in a pursuit of poetry! Our once-monthly group practice focuses on the mindful reading of verse, concentrating on sensory experience and spiritual connection. Instead of using analysis and explanation, we approach poems with a sense of curiosity and openness, a holistic approach to appreciating the beauty and wisdom of a poem.
Links to poems and brief introductions to the various poets will be provided.
Please bring a notebook or journal for writing down impressions, sensory experiences, and connections.
Continuing Contemplation…
- Place yourself in the setting of the poem. What can you see, hear, taste, touch and smell? What sensation stands out for you in the poem?
- What is the pace of the poem? Does it move quickly or slowly? Boldly or timidly?
- What is the voice of the poem? For example, is it relaxed, passionate? Humorous or sober?
- What do you notice or appreciate about the poem?
- What connections do you have to the poem? What chord does the poem strike in you? Memories or experiences that you’ve had?
- How do you feel as you read the poem? What is the mood of the poem – the “emotional weather” of the poem?
- What dazzles you in the poem? What line or image “lights up” for you?
- How has the poem continued its effect on you since our mindful reading?
Additional Resources:
Mindful Reading of Poetry – Approaching a poem not by analysis but through the senses and feelings. Article from Spirituality & Practice.
Ars Poetica by Archibald MacLeish – a classic poem which defines the art of poetry or the meditation of poetry. This is a definitive “instruction book” on what a poem is, which is “to be.”
Let Me Tell You What a Poem Brings by Juan Felipe Herrera – Another type of “ars poetica” poem by 2015 Poet Laureate for the U.S.
Poetry Podcasts – The Poetry Magazine Podcast features poets and artists in their natural form—reading poems and speaking freely.
Poem-a-day! – A new poem each day from Poets.org, because it’s not possible to read too much poetry.
Why Poetry is So Crucial Right Now – Recent NYTimes Opinion by Tish Harrison Warren (@Tish_H_Warren,) a priest in the Anglican Church in North America and author of “Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep.”
Resources from Mindful Poetry at ECWW.
Stay tuned for information about future sessions.