Transcript of Megan Reily CHHS125 Writing as Healing Psychology.
- Slide 1
- Slide 2
- Megan Reily CHHS125 Writing as Healing Psychology
- Slide 3
- I have always been interested in the healing powers of poetry
since I started using it to vent or share difficult feelings. I was
curious how my favorite poets used their poetry to heal themselves.
I wanted to learn more about the connection of depression and
writing poetry. PERSONAL CONNECTION
- Slide 4
- Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton could not find a way to heal by
writing confessional poetry because they focused too much on the
individual self; although, it is still possible to heal through
writing poetry if it is written for the good of the whole, like the
poetry of Maya Angelou. THESIS
- Slide 5
- Harshly criticized because of high number of suicides. Poets
used it to try to heal. Free all pain and intimate details of life.
Air out dirty laundry. Connected with self-absorption and
narcissism. Individualistic nature and wording. CONFESSIONAL
POETRY
- Slide 6
- Traumatic life Became obsessed with death Wrote for themselves
Both committed suicide early in their lives Wrote about their own
pain Individualistic writing made them more trapped in their minds.
PLATH AND SEXTON
- Slide 7
- Grew up oppressed Joined Civil Rights Movement Wrote for the
people Understood the need for revolution and rights Wrote for the
good of the community as a whole Her poetry healed her ANGELOU
- Slide 8
- Readers need something to gain Discover something about their
own humanity Do not retraumatize Control emotions on the page Do
not glamorize dangerous lifestyles Write for the good of the whole
Work towards solving an issue HOW TO WRITE POETRY
- Slide 9
- Anyone who is interested in poetry Poets who want to know about
healing What not to do Who to read to find influence COMMUNITY
CONNECTION
- Slide 10
- Degout, Yasmin. (2009). The Poetry of Maya Angelou: Liberation
Ideology and Technique. Maya Angelou. Bloom, Harold. New York:
Infobase Publishing, Desalvo, L. (1999), Writing as a Way of
Healing, Boston, MA: Beacon Press Hall, C. (1989). Anne Sexton.
Boston: Twayne Publishers. Holbrook, D. (1988). Sylvia Plath :
Poetry and Existence. London: Athlone Press Pennebaker, J. Wiltsey,
S. (2001). Word use in Poetry of Suicidal and Nonsuicidal Poets.
Psychosomatic Medicine July/August 2001 vol. 63 no. 4 517-522
Images: http://www.nndb.com/people/603/000099306/ (Slide 4)
http://www.nndb.com/people/603/000099306/
http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/plath.jpg
(Slide 4)
http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/plath.jpg
http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/A/Maya-
Angelou-9185388-2-402.jpg (Slide 5)
http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/A/Maya-
Angelou-9185388-2-402.jpg REFERENCES
- Slide 11
- THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!