Poetry is a primal part of our humanity

The rhymes, rhythms, and melodies of poetry connect us to something deep within ourselves and allow us to express it

The following article was written to mark World Poetry Day on Mar 21, 2024.

There’s something primal about poetry. 

It’s intertwined with our deepest roots, from nursery rhymes to artistic expression, to the way we see the world. I think I fell in love with poetry before I could even comprehend it.

Of course, as a child, you start with little rhymes like the ABCs. But these rhymes, with their simple rhythms and melodies, stick to our brains like glue.    

I had a hard time with my studies growing up. I struggled to learn the fundamentals of different languages and memorising the odd whimsies of spelling. The one part that came easily to me was poetry. I remember tensing up when preparing for other subjects, but when I was called to recite a poem, it was a relief. I mean, Humpty Dumpty was pretty easy for most people at that age.

That’s where it started. I would learn things by finding their melody. I would search through lines to find their rhythm and beat. And once I could follow the music, the rest came naturally.

As I learned, the urge to write my own poems started to blossom. That’s when I first began to express my deepest feelings through rhymes.

I had journaled since I was a kid, so I was in the habit of jotting down my emotions. When I got the inclination to rhyme the lines that spoke to my emotions, I found my thoughts flowed easily. And, once it was done, I felt a sense of accomplishment.

The process of connecting so deeply to my emotions could be overwhelming. Like touching into the very source of who I was. But, even as tears ran down my face, my pen continued to ink my ideas. My brain would race to think of the next matching word, and soon, I would have a complete work.

Those poems probably won’t win any literary awards, but they were a key point of expression and solace during the rollercoaster of my teenage years. 

So, this World Poetry Day, I encourage everyone to at least try and write a poem, or encourage others to do so. It doesn’t have to be long. And it definitely doesn’t have to be good.

In our current age of tech and social media, our freedom of thought and expression are constantly tampered with. Kids of our age need to explore literature and poetry and turn some of their attention inward, with focus and clarity.

People should be free to pursue their own thoughts and come to their own conclusions. And, through poetry, we can tap into the deepest part of ourselves and discover our own awareness.

This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.