Philomel Spring 1997, Volume 31

Poetry Therapy

An interview with Sherry Reiter

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Sherry Reiter is a Registered Poetry Therapist, a registered drama Therapist, and a certified social worker. She is past President of the National Association for Poetry Therapy, and was on the steering committee of both NAPT and NADT (the National Association for Drama Therapy). She teaches Poetry Therapy and Drama Therapy at Hofstra University. At The Creative "Righting" Center in Brooklyn, Sherry directs a poetry therapy training program and has a private practice.
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What is poetry therapy?

Poetry therapy or "bibliotherapy" refers to the intentional use of poetry and other forms of literature for healing and personal growth. Other forms of literature include short stories, novels, journal writing and even films. The term "biblio" means books while therapy is derived from the Greek word "therapeia," meaning "to serve or help medically." The word therapy is also related to the Greek word "theraput," the Greek midwife who made way for Psyche's head. Poetry therapy extends an invitation to both men and women to "give birth to themselves" through the writing process.

Poetry therapy is a powerful tool that can be used in preventive mental health and is very helpful in working through emotional conflicts before they become serious. Preventive poetry therapy takes place in schools, community settings, libraries, and senior centers. Poetry therapy is also used in outpatient settings by therapists (recreation therapists, activity therapists, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and librarians). Trained facilitators use poetry therapy with individuals, groups and families. Poetry therapy is a natural method of healing that is very old and very new.

What is the history of poetry therapy?

We speculate that poetry therapy dates back to primitive man, who used religious rites in which shamans and witch doctors chanted poetry for the well-being of the tribe or the individual. It is documented that as far back as the fourth millennium B.C. in ancient Egypt words were written on papyrus and then dissolved into a solution so that the words could be physically ingested by the patient and take effect as quickly as possible. The first poetry therapist on record was Soranus in the 1st century A.D., who prescribed tragedy for his manic patients and comedy for those who were depressed. For many centuries poetry therapy remained obscure. The first hospital in the United States to recognize writing as therapeutic was Pennsylvania Hospital, where Dr. Benjamin Rush introduced music and literature as ancillary treatments.

In the twentieth century such theoreticians as Freud, Moreno, Arieti, Menninger and Jung helped bring about a readiness and appreciation for

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the arts therapies. Librarians had started to "prescribe" certain books for specific problems. In the 1920's, Eli Greifer founded the Remedy Rhyme Gallery in Greenwich Village, using memorized uplifting poems as "psychografts," or infusions of spirit. By the 1950's, this volunteer introduced "poem therapy" to different hospitals. He worked with Dr. Jack Leedy, a psychiatrist who had long loved both poetry and medicine.

With the popularity of group therapy that began in the sixties, more and more people became aware of poetry therapy. Leedy edited the first book on poetry therapy (Poetry Therapy, Lippincott, 1969). He and his colleagues founded the Association for Poetry Therapy to establish a network between the professionals who were practicing this very special form of therapy. In 1980, as Vice-President of APT, I spearheaded a movement to change this group into a not-for profit organization and worked to establish uniform standards for poetry therapists. Today, the National Association for Poetry Therapy is alive and well, working to maintain professional standards and to educate professionals and the public about this wonderful tool.

How does poetry therapy work?

There are three components in poetry therapy - the literature, the client and the poetry therapist. The voice of the poet makes an opening statement, and the therapist and client continue the conversation. It is a dynamic, interactive process. Whether the poem is written by a known poet or the client, it serves as a catalyst for discussion. When the writing does not come from the client, the poetry therapist will choose a poem that is relevant for a particular individual or group.

Can you give some examples of the process?

When I work with senior citizens, I want to focus on issues that concern them. Here's a stanza from one of my favorite poems - "My Get Up and Go Has Got Up and Went."

Old age is golden, so I've heard it said,
But sometimes I wonder when I get into bed,
With my ears in a drawer and my teeth in a cup
My eyes on the table until I wake up...

Aging is a universal dilemma. Inevitably, this poem leads us into a discussion about the effects of aging, both physically and spiritually. What attitudes or

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mind-sets can help seniors cope with aging? Individuals are able to share their feelings - and they range from depression to a passionate commitment to renew oneself with each day.

Or suppose I was working with a women's group. An excellent choice of poem would be Linda Pastan's "Marks" from Five Stages of Grief (W.W. Norton, 1978).

Marks

My husband gave me an A
for last night's supper, an incomplete for my ironing,
a B plus in bed.
My son says I am average,
an average mother, but if
I put my mind to it
I could improve.
My daughter believes in Pass Fail and tells me
I pass. Wait 'til they learn
I'm dropping out.

This delightful poem is a great catalyst for discussing performance anxiety, trying to live up to others' expectations, and the importance of knowing one's own self worth. Sometimes I ask the group to write their own poem entitled "Marks," and ask participants what grades they think they would get from people in their personal lives. The results are always fascinating.

What makes poetry therapy so effective?

When a problem can be reduced to black squiggles on a page, you know that you are larger than the problem. There is a sense of mastery when feelings which were previously invisible and chaotic can be looked at and held in your hand. Writing, reading and discussion enable the person to identify the problem, take a look at the problem, and develop a different perspective.

Words are the symbols that help us to order and organize the universe. Remember Helen Keller in Miracle Worker, when she spelled W-A-T-E-R and for the first time in her life discovered there is a name for everything? Words are potent and magical tools. In certain Indian tribes, the name of each warrior was considered sacred. If the enemy knew the name of the

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warrior, then the enemy controlled the warrior's destiny.

Poetry is especially powerful because of its poetic devices - rhythm, rhyme, metaphor, imagery, simile, alliteration, etc. Freud called poetry the "royal road to the unconscious," because poetry uses the same psychological mechanisms as dreams - imagery, condensation and displacement. The two most powerful devices are rhythm and imagery.

What role do rhythm and imagery play in the therapeutic process?

Rhythm taps into the innate biological code we are born with. We are conceived in rhythm and born in rhythm. Every mother knows that rocking her child helps the baby to sleep. It is said to recreate the fetus rocking in amniotic water. The first sound that we hear, prior to birth, is the rhythmic beat of our mother's heart. It is not surprising that scientific studies show that the closer a poem's rhythm is to the human heartbeat, the more soothing it is. Similarly, a rhythm which is irregular can be extremely anxiety provoking.

Imagery operates like an access code typed into the computer of the brain, releasing emotions, associations and long-term memory images. Imagery utilizes the language of the subconscious, and is understood readily on several levels. Word pictures say what cannot be said in any other way. For example, I can write, "Words can be extremely therapeutic." But W.H. Auden wrote, "In the desert of the heart/ Let the healing fountain start." Auden has tapped our associations and feeling; we think of thirst, loneliness, emptiness, nurturance and hope. Even our comprehension of his statement is deeper and greater.

All the poetic devices work together to bypass our resistances and get straight to the heart of the matter. Poetry appeals to the feeling part of the brain, rather than the logical, thinking part. The combination of the poetry and the discussion which follows enables both parts of the brain to work together, and integrate the information that is necessary for personal growth.

What populations benefit from this? Is it ever contra-indicated?

Normal neurotics like you and me can benefit. Young children may prefer to dictate their writing to the facilitator, who acts as "scribe." Teens and adults of all ages can benefit from journal writing. Seniors and persons in mid-life may particularly enjoy "life review," the process of telling and reflecting on one's own story. Poetry therapy has been especially effective in the treatment of depression, trauma, addiction, abuse, and in grief work. It

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has also been used successfully with the physically handicapped, the learning disabled, and the retarded. It is contra-indicated if a person is psychotic.

Do you think poetry served a therapeutic function in the lives of poets such as Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath, and Anne Sexton?

I can only speculate that without poetry perhaps these poets lives would have been even shorter. Through their writings, they attempted to wrestle with their demons. Never, never look a barracuda straight in the face. If you're going to dive into the deep waters, make sure there is a lifeguard watching. A good poetry therapist will blow a whistle when images of death become glorified and seductive. The poetry therapist will work with the person to seek out and develop images of life and sustenance. These writers dove into their feelings, and the water was over their head. Were they working with a therapist before they died? I doubt it. Is it presumptuous to wonder if a poetry therapist could have made the difference? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Do you think their psychological problems served as valuable fuel for their poetry?

Undoubtedly, yes. The conflicts themselves gave tremendous fuel for their poetry, but it also burned toxic holes into the very fiber of their beings. If a person is manic-depressive, or suffering from major depression, the writing may be brilliant but inevitably the emotional imbalance affects the writer's ability to craft his work. These writers were compelled to write. They no longer had a choice over their subject matter. So let's debunk the myth that madness is a necessary component of creativity. The craft of writing is best served by a mind that is healthy and balanced. Generally, symptoms of depression, mania, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorders tend to interfere with writing ability, not improve it. In any case it is the life of the poet that supersedes the life of the poem.

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