5 Ways Poetry Helps Us Savor Summer

Poetry Helps Us Savor Summer. Here are 5 suggestions to get you into poetry this season–even if you aren’t sure whether poetry is for you.

1) Go Slow

When we read poetry, we have the opportunity to slow down. Language is used differently from a novel or newspaper article. The economy of words is exchanged at a different rate. These differences prompt us to read differently. Poetry invites us to appreciate, to savor language with more intention and slowness from our usual speed reading frenzies we’ve adopted in an information saturated world. There is so much to consume.

Poetry is meant to be experienced, not only looked at on a page, not devoured in a gulp, to forget it and move in.

If we allow it to do so, poetry can gently train us to focus on language, words, images and challenge us to enter the poetic world for a different perspective. One way to go slow is to read aloud and in the company of others.

Action: Who might you ask to explore poetry together?

2) In the Company of Others

When we read poetry aloud and discuss it in company of loved ones, we create precious moments to enjoy because of sharing. Our voices are powerful–both our physical and our personality voices. How we speak leaves a lasting impression and our voices, our laughter, our thoughts in the present season can be rich for the future’s nostalgia.

Reading aloud, articulating the words and their sounds with someone else present gives us to opportunity to draw new meaning. We listen and hear with new ears when we are together. It can be a richer experience when loved one’s share the memories and ideas that a poem brings up for them.

These conversations can be a fun way to deepen a relationship. But, it doesn’t have to be a forever way of interacting (or reading poetry). It can be a seasonal approach.

Action: Maybe this summer you arrange to meet with friends on your deck or by the lake on Sunday afternoons to each bring a poem to share with each other.

3) Seasonal Rhythms

When seasons change, we cut our hair, we put the heavy cardigans and woolly clothes in the back of the closet, in favor of the shorts, t-shirts (unless you live in Duluth and the Northland area by Lake Superior–the winter gear always stays in the car, just in case it’s a 90 degree day on top of the hill and a 50 degree windy day by the lake).

Poetry anthologies, for instance, a poem for every day of the year (every day of summer) can be a special seasonal rhythm for starting or ending your day. Anthologies are a favorite way of mine to read poetry because it’s so subjective, I don’t feel stuck with a poet whose words don’t resonate with me.

Anthologies are sort of like a literary, poetic buffet or sampler platter of methods and forms of poetic thoughts. Currently, I have a poem for every night of the year anthology that I read most evenings before bed. Then, in the morning, I tend to read a poem or two from a collection by a single poet.

If you enjoy one of the poets from the anthology, you might consider delving into their literary works for a little side project.

4) Creative Side Quest

For some people, poetry feels like a big ask. That’s why pursuing a short-term ‘poetry project’ could be the perfect way to dip in–or, opt out. Reading poetry can be a mini-adventure; many collections are short (less than 100 poems) and could be read occasionally over several (seasonal) weeks.

Having a time limit either in sessions or selection (for example: discussing a complete poetry collection with your book club next month instead of the usual novel pick) could allow you focused time to really give poetry an honest intentional chance, but also have the end in sight if it’s not what you need this season.

You might be so inspired by what you read that you begin to think in poetry. Maybe not, but if you are, you could include writing poetry as part of your side quest. (Remember: this is just for fun, a way to enjoy and savor summer. Nobody’s grading your work. 🙂 )

Action: Head to the library or local bookshop and ask the librarians or booksellers for either a local poet or a favorite poetry collection to try over the summer.

Bonus: If it’s a local poet, ask them to consider coming along to your book club discussion or simply write them a thank you note for giving you a summer diversion.

5) A Written Record

Writing poetry could be a summer activity to document how the lake, trees, or garden changes. Whether you share your poems with you friends or online, or submit them to be published in literary magazines doesn’t matter. Creating a written record of your summer through poetry could be a tremendous gift to your future self.

Imagine yourself in the frigid February pain as you remember that it will get warm again. You can snuggle by the fireplace in winter with your hot chocolate and read your notebooks from a few months earlier. Your past words can warm you with memories of nostalgic iced teas, cool water on hot Northshore stones, waterskiing, loon-spotting, kayaking in the still backwaters…and the mosquitoes…well, maybe the poetic reminders of summer pests will help you savor the winter times, too.

Minnesota’s beautiful, known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes and there is life bursting at the woodland and lake life seams. A couple simple formulas to create a written record in a poetic way are as follows:

1. Haiku: 3 lines with 5/7/5 syllables in each line respectively.
   
   The first line sets the nature scene, in 5 syllables; the second line sharpens the reader’s/viewer’s focus of the nature details in 7 syllable; the third line offers a surprise or twist to resolve or turn our attention to another detail or reflection on the nature.
2. List Poem with Sensory Observations: 5 lines to connect with each sense.
   
   You could write one line of simple momentary observations for each sense, for a total of 5 lines. You might also choose one sense to zoom in on and create a list poem with details pertaining to one specific sense and make it as long as you like.

Action: Grab a notebook (or a scrap piece of paper) and jot down quick thoughts in response to your senses.
What do you see?
What do you hear?
What do you feel/What can you touch?
What do you taste?
What do you smell?

Concluding Thoughts…

Whether you choose to “become a poet” or change your mind about how you feel about poetry already, I hope this summer can be full of poetic inspiration. One of the things I love most about reading and writing poetry is how it tunes my senses to focus on details, savor minute details of a color or sensation, a flavor or unique sound that I miss when I’m rushing.

There’s something special about letting nature speak to us and using our voice to speak to nature through poetry and poets.

No matter what you select to savor the summer, I hope that you do accept the invitation to slow down, notice the beauty in your everyday life, and all the beauty of nature, of friendship, of summer, of the Lake, and of poetry to bring hope and into your life.

If you’d like to get started reading poetry, you might try one of my poetry collections I wrote for people in live settings, on-the-spot, with my vintage typewriter.

Find out more about Molly Ovenden’s poetry and purchase her books here.