“Congratulations! 
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away”
These are the opening lines from Dr. Seuss’s children’s book “Oh The Places You’ll Go.” It is a rhyming, poetic narrative about the journey of life, done in a form that is easy to digest and fun to read, and yet captures the ups and downs, triumphs and setbacks in life.
Why does poetry matter? Poetry matters because it gives language to the full spectrum of the human experience. It helps us navigate our lives in ways other forms of communication cannot.
The poem “Tell all the truth but tell it slant” was written by the American poet, Emily Dickinson. She suggests that telling the truth can be too overwhelming if it is delivered all at once, and believes it should be revealed gradually or indirectly through poetry.
Poetry acts as an emotional outlet for grief, joy, trauma, and taboo subjects. It uses metaphor and imagery to capture feelings that are hard to put into regular language. It is a way for us to process deep or painful experiences.
Reading poetry reminds us that we are not alone. People often turn to poetry seeking comfort during personal or collective crises. It helps us to make sense of ourselves, others, and the world. Sometimes we simply need someone else to put into words something we’ve felt for years.
Poems are the space between two worlds: reality and mystery. They challenge our habitual perceptions and ways of thinking and enable us to see the extraordinary in the ordinary.
How is it possible that a few words, well placed, can make us cry, laugh, feel terror, joy, or provide solace? Poetry can do this. It can slow us down and help us look at everything new again.
Poetry is a playful, reflective connection between the writer and the world. It is like a puzzle that slowly reveals itself over time.
Dr. Seuss graciously beckons us to participate fully in life as he concludes in his book Oh The Places You’ll Go with:
So…
Be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
You’re off to great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!