Why Poetry Matters

Yet poetry can make a difference in the lives of readers. I've always known that myself, having read and written poems for at least four decades. Every morning I begin the day with a book of poems open at the breakfast table. I read a poem, perhaps two. I think about the poetry. I often make notes in my journal. The reading of the poem informs my day, adds brightness to my step, creates shades of feeling that formerly had been unavailable to me. In many cases, I remember lines, whole passages, that float in my head all day — snatches of song, as it were. I firmly believe my life would be infinitely poorer without poetry, its music, its deep wisdom.

He's right about this. I wish I still read poetry daily, but I haven't since before grad school, and that was six years ago. I also used to read the Bible daily, and I think a lot of what he says here can be extended to that too. I'm sure there's a lot of things we desperately need like poetry and God's word which we just can't seem to fit into our lives anymore, but which leave us feeling impoverished nonetheless. Those two are my personal two, though.