Poetry, the literary art so often thought as the world gentle, pathetic renaissance writers. Hardly high on most people’s list of cathartic activities. When people think of catharsis, they usually think of boxing, rage rooms, venting to a friend, or screaming into pillows.
But I’m here to prove you wrong, or at least, add another option to your list.
How do you get into Poetry?
Last year, I began to attend open mic nights for poetry. I’m lucky enough to have several options in my local area. This means I manage to go to at least two such nights each month.
These are open for everyone, no experience required, newcomers are welcome, there’s no “standard” of poetry writing. In fact, you’ll see beginners join in for fun, and bring the house down. And published professionals end up stumbling over their words.
My first few tries at poetry were based on my partner, using her as a muse to write sentimental poetry. But once you get into a groove, you can start to branch out more.
See the wonderful thing about poetry is that there’s no real rules. Once you’ve got a sense for what a poem is, you can bend that to whatever you feel like. They’re strange things, poems. In school we learn the standard structures, probably study rhyming schemes and uses of alliteration and (my favorite word) onomatopoeia.
But those things don’t make a poem.
Neither does short lines, small stanzas, or anything else really. Rhythm is important, but also not essential. Poetry can only really be defined as what it isn’t. It’s not prose.
What types of poems are most cathartic?
I’ve often felt encouraged to write when I’m feeling a particularly strong emotion. Or if I want to work out exactly what’s going on in my head with something. (These often coincide).
This has led me to writing about depression, self harm, poor body image, and difficult relationships with family members.
And something surprised me. When I performed these poems, I felt the pressure of these worries lift. Not completely of course, but the act of getting my thoughts down on paper and then saying them out loud was a way of saying “yes, this is something I’ve struggled with, but now, I can let go of it”
So if you’re looking for a new approach to your troubles, why not give poetry a go?
So WHY does poetry work so well?
There are a couple of thoughts for this. To me, poetry is a form of journaling. I’ve struggled to keep a traditional journal in the past. But as poetry feels like creating art, rather than thinking about yourself, it makes it easier to get into.
Poetry doesn’t have to be long. Many people have sat down to write a novel, a short story, even a song. This then often ends up chucked on the pile of “unfinished projects.”
But poetry can be short.
Sure, writing a good poem can take as much or as little time as any other creative writing. But the aim here isn’t good poetry (but that can be a pleasant side effect). The aim is cathartic poetry.
The goal is to get all those thoughts and feelings that are proving tricky for you out onto paper. What happens to them after that is up to you.
Where to start with writing a cathartic poem?
For me, this is found in waiting for inspiration. This itself could be anything. It could be a feeling, an incident with someone, or a memory resurfaced.
Whatever your starting block, find yourself a blank piece of paper. If you find paper too daunting, open your phone and write there first. Write down what you’re thinking. I use bullet points as my base, and then go in and edit each one later.
As your writing, think about what this says about you. What mood is the poem creating? Can you lean into that, or would you like to finish on something lighter?
Like I said before, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to poetry.
Once you’re finished, read it out loud to yourself. This is my personal guide for everything, as a dyslexic I find it impossible to spot written mistakes.
And that’s it. You’ve written your first cathartic poem.
If you’d like some inspiration, check out a few of my favorites here.