The virtues of poetic writing: Implications for clinical practice—An interview study.

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the experience of writing poetry, and the virtues of the writing process. Seven Swedish poets, 4 men and 3 women, were interviewed. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis whereby 3 themes were identified. These were in touch with oneself, in touch with others, and creative joy. According to the interviewed poets, they explore various life experiences, memories, and emotions through writing poetry. While they describe the beginning of each writing process as an experience of intimacy, the poets report that they gradually become more distant from the text throughout the composition process. In the final editing phase, the poem has become separate from its author. The process is characterized by creative joy, authenticity, and a sense of presence, and the poet is able to communicate thoughts and emotions. The writing process and the clinical therapeutic process thus have similarities. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.