Monday, March 21, 2016

Poetry Aloud

The film ‘Dead Poet’s Society’ is a story of students who follow what their teacher did when he was a student – they revive a secret club that reads compositions of dead poets as well as their own. They sneak off their campus to a cave where they read poetry and this leads them to live their lives on their own terms. Of course, this results in conflicts and trials but it liberates them of the confines of restrictive beliefs.

Surely, poetry makes us connect easily with understanding of concepts of all complexities. From sonnets to haikus, from elegy to epic, from rhyme to free form… poetry has been luring us to multiple perspectives. And it is these varied visions that invoke insight, inspiration and even action. Revolutions as well as reformations have been triggered by the power of poetry.

Poetry has always been a great teacher. In the kindergarten, we learn easily as we learn with rhyme. In higher education, the relegation of poetry leads to difficulties in learning. However, some innovations have happened. The lyrics of ‘we didn’t start the fire’ helped us remember historical sequences. Since poetry involves the triggering of multiple senses, it is a fantastic memory tool, too!

Reading poetry loud is a great way to learn. And the better way is to read poetry in a group. As poetry is a vocal art, the reader brings his own understanding and presents it according to his sensibilities as well as those of the audience and the situation. Reading poetry aloud also underlines the ‘pause’ as an element of poetry. The articulation of sound generates further revelations of insight.

When we choose to indulge in poetry, it leads us to interesting perspectives. It transports us into a world of vison and sounds and possibilities. It takes us back to being child-like, open-minded and eager to embrace the new. Indeed, reading poetry aloud can wake us up to the true purpose, potential and path of our own life.

Read aloud poetry and listen well too…
Discover a world of perspectives new!


- Pravin K. Sabnis

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