Daily Nourishment for March 27: Read Poetry Regularly
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 50 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 12 minutes
“If you’re afraid of poetry, or think you dislike it, as a friend of mine dislikes water, then find a way to begin reading it, maybe by starting with the most prosy poems.”- Lydia Davis, “Thirty Recommendations for Good Writing Habits” from Essays One
Pause.
Take six deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale. Then read a favorite poem (or any poem you can find without too much trouble). Then do a breath prayer/meditation using single words or phrases from the poem. Inhale a word or phrase and exhale a word or phrase. Repeat the breath prayer five or so times.
When I do breath prayers, I usually inhale a word or phrase that corresponds to or names something I want to receive and exhale a word or phrase that corresponds to or names something I want to let go of. If this particular breathing practice doesn’t work well for your poem, or if it feels awkward, skip it.
Prompt.
Here’s more from Lydia Davis: “Be sure to read poetry, regularly, whether you are a poet or a writer of prose. I hope, of course, that if you’re a poet, you are already reading a lot of poetry. You will not develop, as a writer, if you don’t read. You won’t write as well, if you’re a prose writer, if you don’t read poetry.”
Practice.
Use a website like poetryfoundation.org or read a book of poems. Set a 10-minute timer and read some poems. Make Lydia Davis proud and take some notes while reading the poems or after you’re done.
Want more direction? Read this one. And this one. And this one. And this one. Then read them again and again.
And. If you don’t own any books of poetry, consider buying one, two, or three!
Want More?
Read How to Read a Poem by Tania Runyan or How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry by Edward Hirsch.
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Today’s Daily Nourishment was provided by Charlotte Donlon.
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