The Power of Poetry

“Thank you for leading us to these places of comfort,” one participant said. “It helped me feel connected to a greater sense of being, which is so needed during these times.” Her words echoed (和……共鸣) many of the participants’ feelings in Finding Comfort, the first installment of the Hope Storytelling Project.

We were inspired to create the project, a series of virtual poetry workshops held in partnership with the Cambridge Public Library and the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, for a simple reason: to create 【小题1】 through poetry.

In this time of social isolation and uncertainty, the need for meaningful connections is more apparent than ever. The longer the pandemic continues, we, as a nation, are quickly realizing how there is a(n) 【小题2】 of tools to fight the growing feelings of loneliness. Therefore we decided to use poetry as a(n) 【小题3】 for connection: to cultivate a safe space where free expression is 【小题4】, different opinions are tolerated, and sharing stories offers therapeutic reflection. Through the combination of introspective writing and open group discussions, we have built a model in which poetry can directly 【小题5】 feelings of loneliness.

One of the most powerful and simple ways of dealing with emotional issues is communicating and listening to others with our undivided attention and open minds. Therefore, in designing the Hope Storytelling Project, we 【小题6】 designing our workshops for that particular purpose—to use poetry as a way to heal through individual reflection and group discussion. Divided into five parts (Finding Comfort, On Perspective, Approaching Emotion, Being a Witness and A New Hope), the Hope Storytelling Project seeks to guide participants through different forms of writing poetry, and finally, to uplift each other and create a sense of unity.

In our first workshop, participants shared childhood stories, memories about loved ones, and about the things they missed, such as hiking, going to work or simply hugging a friend. In the span of an hour, the virtual space felt 【小题7】 more tight-knit, warmed by shared poems and experiences. As we closed, many participants noted how this workshop 【小题8】 offered the space to simply write, listen and connect.

It is time to recognize how powerful creative expression, through mediums such as poetry, can be in times of despair, and we believe all aspects of poetry—reading, writing and sharing—can serve as an incredible cure for loneliness. In times like these, poetry will 【小题9】 us to imagine and to consider our journeys within the collective landscape, and we can use this to heal and to create meaningful connections. Poetry can be a(n) 【小题10】 medium of comfort and beauty, reminding us of how we were all closely connected, even in isolation.

Why is Art so Powerful?

Perhaps the simplest answer to this question is that art touches us emotionally.

Art is powerful because it can potentially influence our culture, politics, and even the economy. When we see a powerful work of art, you feel it 【小题1】deep within your core, giving us the power to make real-life changes.

It has the power to educate people about almost anything. It creates awareness and 【小题2】information in a way that could be absorbed by many 【小题3】. In a world where there are those who don’t even have access to good education; art makes education an even greater equalizer of society.

It breaks cultural, social, and economic barriers. While art hardly really solves poverty or 【小题4】social justice on its own, it can be used as a leveled playing field for discourse and expression. The reason why everyone can relate to art is that everyone has emotions and personal experiences. Therefore, anyone can learn to appreciate art regardless of their social background, economic 【小题5】, or political affiliation.

It 【小题6】higher orders of thinking. Art doesn’t just make you absorb information. Rather, it makes you think about current ideas and inspire you to make your own. This is why creativity is a form of intelligence — it is a special ability that unlocks the 【小题7】of the human mind. In fact, studies have shown that 【小题8】to art can make you better in other fields of knowledge.

The truth is that people have recognized how powerful art can be. Many times in history have we heard of people being criticized, threatened, censored, and even killed because of their artwork. Those 【小题9】for these reactions, may it be an aggressive government or a dissident group, take these measures against artists knowing how much their works can affect the politics in a 【小题10】area. In the hands of good people, however, art can be used to give back hope or instill courage in a society that’s undergoing a lot of hardships.