Written by Paulette Bane<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the introduction to her collection \u201cVoices in the Air,\u201d poet Naomi Shihab Nye reminds us that \u201cQuiet inspiration may be as necessary as food, water, shelter\u201d and advises us to give ourselves \u201cregular times a day for reading and thinking \u2014 even if just for a minute or two\u201d (xiv-xv). Most of us would agree such pauses are helpful, even essential. But how many of us prioritize quiet inspiration in the same way we prioritize other necessary functions such as eating and sleeping? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nye argues that no matter how busy we are, we do have time to pause. She asks, \u201cHow long does it take to read a poem? Slowing to a more gracious pacing \u2014 trying not to hurry or feel overwhelmed \u2014 inch by inch \u2014 one thought at a time \u2014 can be a deeply helpful mantra. It\u2019s a gift we give our own minds\u201d (xv). Nye\u2019s advice rings true to me, a poet and lover of poetry, as well as the broader question she\u2019s asking us to consider: What space can poetry open in our lives, and why do we need such apertures? <\/strong>Nye suggests taking a moment to read a poem will inform the other moments and activities of the day. The poem may become the lens through which we view an encounter, or the poem may inspire creative thinking about the world around us \u2014 the kind of thinking that elevates the ordinary, that is pro-creative, that solves problems and that laces our encounters with others with grace. Nye is talking about more than individual enjoyment or healing. It\u2019s about community. Our cultural songs and stories can bind a community together as well as unite other cultures in global citizenship. But how does a poem perform such a function? How can reading a poem operate on both the individual and communal level? How does poetry inspire healing and unity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we turn to poetry, we approach it with an open heart, ready to be moved. We don\u2019t know what we will encounter, but we want something: the stories of others, the stories in which we encounter our truer selves. We want emotions and experiences named and described; we want to feel things new, old or borrowed. This transformation begins with a pause from the momentum of the day. The poem is a liminal, or \u201cin-between,\u201d space outside of the structure of our daily grind. Dwelling in this state interrupts the forward movement toward the activities and obligations of our day. In this timeless, liminal space, a person can experience new ways of thinking or being in the world. But it doesn\u2019t end there. What occurs in the liminal is brought back into the structure and invigorates it, bringing new understanding, growth and possibly healing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We must slow down long enough to care for ourselves and others. Stopping to look, breathe and appreciate increases the likelihood of doing so again, or of pausing to avoid conflict, or choosing one\u2019s words more carefully. Poetry can help us return to ourselves \u2014 to be centered, mindful beings that see the world and others with deep love, patience and wisdom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you would like to pause to read poetry, Souvenirs meets each Tuesday from 7-8 pm in the Honors House to read works by classic and contemporary poets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Written by Paulette Bane In the introduction to her collection \u201cVoices in the Air,\u201d poet Naomi Shihab Nye reminds us that \u201cQuiet inspiration may be as necessary as food, water,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15068,"featured_media":17927,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15068"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17925"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17928,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17925\/revisions\/17928"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}