Poetry as Spiritual Practice: Reading, Writing, and Using Poetry in Your Daily Rituals, Aspirations, and Intentions

by Robert McDowell

"[When we read and write poetry,] it is as if a long-settled cloud in our mind suddenly dissipates, and we are divine once again." -- from the Introduction

Poetry is the language of devotion in prayer, chant, and song. Reading and writing poetry creates clarity, deepens and expands spiritual inquiry, and cultivates wisdom, compassion, self-confidence, patience, and love. In author Robert McDowell's words, poetry makes you into a tuning fork of the Divine.

But poetry has disappeared over the centuries from religious ceremonies, academic curricula, and public discourse. In Poetry as Spiritual Practice, the first inspirational and instructional guide to combine poetry and spirituality, McDowell restores poetry as the natural language of spiritual practice and invites you to recognize poetry as "the pure sound and shape of your spirit."

Vividly illustrated with a wide range of poems from all historical eras and poetic traditions, numerous religions and faiths, and McDowell's own and his students' work, Poetry as Spiritual Practice will reintroduce you to the unique pleasure of verse. And meditations throughout will allow you to integrate reading and writing poetry into your spiritual journeys and daily life.

Since many of us have long forgotten, or never learned, the mechanics and terminology of poetry -- trochaic feet and tropes trip us up; we can't tell a villanelle from its shorter cousin, rondeau; and a terza rima may as well be a tanka -- this is also an instructional handbook on reading and writing poetry. An engaging guide through the landscape of world poetry, McDowell argues along the way for the many practical benefits of poetic literacy.

Making poetry an essential part of daily rituals, aspirations, and intentions will put you on the path to greater meaning, growth, and peace in your life. At once an engaging technical primer, a profound meditation on the relationship between poetry and the Divine, and an inspirational guide for integrating poetry into spiritual practice, Poetry as Spiritual Practice will become a cherished companion.

Genres: Poetry, Writing, Nonfiction, Religion, Spirituality, Self Help, Prayer

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book led me to think that it would have some basic instruction on how to write poetry—you can't assume anyone is familiar with that—but that mostly the book would be on how to integrate poetry into my spiritual practice. But in reality, it's almost entirely a poetry-writing 101 instruction guide, concentrating on the traditional forms, and fairly indistinguishable from other introductory books on the topic. McDowell does talk about spirituality throughout the book, but only in the most general terms, referring to some generic spirituality that has something to do with mindfulness, meditation, opening the heart, etc.

I would have liked at least to have been able to recommend this book as a beginning text on poetry, even if it didn't do much for me personally as a spiritual guide. However, I believe there are some factual errors in the chapter on sonnets. The author appears to confuse the English and Italian sonnet forms, calling the English form "Petrarchan" (Italian sonnets can be called "Petrarchan;" English sonnets are "Shakespearean"). One of his examples of an English sonnet is actually an Italian one—indeed, it's a translation of one of Petrarch's sonnets.

Overall, this could be a supplementary book on how to write poetry, but you should probably look elsewhere both for introductions to writing poetry and suggestions of how to bring poetry into your spirituality and vice versa.

[Jason Pettus]

2021 reads, #40. DID NOT FINISH. Big news -- for the first time in twenty years, I've started writing poetry again! And unlike last time, this time it ain't any of that poetry-slam nonsense either, but actual formal poetry based on actual classic poetry forms, things like sonnets and haikus and other thousand-year-old traditions. I actually know very little about the subject, so the first thing I did was just check out a bunch of random titles at my local branch of the Chicago Public Library system, to see what appeals to me so I can start heading down more specific rabbit holes as the year continues.

I picked this one up purely on a lark, because it's a sort of post-pandemic existential malaise I'm going through these days that's led to me writing poetry again in the first place, so I thought that perhaps a guide to writing poetry each day as part of one's spiritual practice might provide some insight into the subject. But alas, this book is chock-full of the exact kind of pretentious twaddle about "The Purity of The Word" and "The Higher Calling of Poets" that's largely kept me away from formal poetry for most of my life, and which I'm going to be trying very, very hard to avoid like the plague as I get more and more involved with the classic forms of traditional poetry myself. (Thanks to Goodreads member Hafidha for reminding me of this particular nugget from the introduction: "As you hear or speak poetry, the particles in your brain connect and dance, creating physical sensations of lightness, darkness, joy and sorrow.") Add to this some of the most inane "exercises" I've ever seen an author have the gall to suggest in a book specifically meant for grown-ups ("Make a visual pyramid about words you associate with poetry! Write your own nursery rhyme! Write a poem out of a conversation you overhear in public!"), and this was a book I unfortunately got tired of very quickly, turning it back in to the library before I was even a third of the way through it. That's what happens when you literally pull random books off a shelf sight-unseen; but thankfully some of my first random picks are turning out a lot better, and I'll be sharing those here over the next few weeks as well.

[Michael Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally (okay it was published ten years ago, but it is "new" to me), a book not only making the connection between the spiritual and the poetic, but something seekers of all kinds can benefit from. The book is not an intellectual exercise for a minority of people (poets) who want to justify their existence (though it makes the case), but a gathering of reflective lessons designed to deepen inner lives through active participation, as both writer and reader, in the power of poetry.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess I sort of hoped that this would be a book on how to making writing one's religion. But actually, it's about adding the practice of practice of writing to one's religion. As a result, I wasn't that interested, but others who would like to write about spiritual experiences might be.

[athenaowl]

John Keats, the great English poet who died at age 26 in 1821, prepared to write poetry by taking a bath. Afterward, he would dress in his finest clothes, peel and slice an apple, and pour a glass of good red wine. Placing the apple slices and the wine glass just so on his desk, he would sit down, dip his quill and ink pot, and begin to write. (26)

[Camellia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for guidance and inspiration

[Ronna Jevne & Harold Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I return to periodically. It is a lovely reminder that poetry touches us at a level that prose does not. McDowell provides the reader with basics and yet engages the reader in experimenting with the genre. Poetry as Spiritual Practice always feels like a one-on-one workshop with the author. The multiple/optional assignments are a delight. I have a particular appreciation for the author's willingness to avoid doctrinal mousetraps. Members of any religious tradition would be comfortable as would someone who is not attached to conventional religion. Each time I read it, I feel like my poetry repertoire increases.

[Thomasin Propson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Introduction—it’s declaration that poetry is for all, understandable by all, to be written by all. Poetry is life around us. Poetry saves live (per the description of medical students taking poetry courses to develop listening and empathy skills).

But the rest (each chapter an introduction to types of poetry, with examples and prompts for the reader/developing poet) didn’t give me what I was searching for in a book about spiritual practice.

Nevertheless, could be a useful reference or prompt for others. Never know unless you check into it yourself.

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book brought together two of my favorite themes and gave me quite a few ideas for my own practice. It was neither as academic nor as mystical as I had hoped, and I found most of the exercises to be too basic and group-oriented to be helpful to me, or else this would have gotten 4 stars.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, but in the end I couldn't really see how the title and the content were related. It was interesting to read about different forms of poetry, but there wasn't anything original here to draw my attention.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for someone beginning to learn about the different forms and devices used in poetry, but weak in terms of how poetry can be used in spirituality. Some of the exercises are cool but it also lacks proper instruction on how to actually write and interpret poetry. Lots of good references though.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoughtful book on the power and depth of poetry, this work's structure (unfortunately for me) involves a few too many writing exercises - not exactly what I was looking for. Nonetheless, it still provided enough nuggets for this English major to make reading it worthwhile.

[Hafidha]

The introduction is vague and at times even sloppy. For example, I could have done without this: "As you hear or speak poetry, the particles in your brain connect and dance, creating physical sensations of lightness, darkness, joy and sorrow. Through poetry's sound and pictures, its cadences and imagery, you achieve greater awareness and more intimate knowledge of things seen and unseen and more abundance in your spiritual life."

However, when McDowell starts to become specific about his own spiritual practice and that of a friend, I found more meaning in what he had to say. The poem, "Paper Cranes," by Thomas Merton, is very special - I'm glad he shared it.

[R.K. Goff · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fun, in it's own way. And some of the book had good verse in it. But it wasn't what I was expecting, or hoping for.

There was a lot of it which was dedicated to teaching the very formal verse styles that aren't commonly used any more. And there wasn't as much about the spiritual nature of poetry, and one might expect from a book with such a title. I guess the worst of it was how many of the exercises didn't really have any introspection or good contemplation. . . (my own opinion, of course).

But it did get a few poems out of me. I'm grateful for that.

[Liam Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book surprised me because I shouldn't have forgotten how enmeshed poetry and spirituality are. I know this and live this enmeshed existence as I read poetry nearly daily now. Or, in my garden think poetic thoughts. I pray in some form daily. The book reminded me too of the many poetic forms I don't think about. It asked readers to participate in practice exercises within writing groups, and this I didn't do, alas. I have no writing group and need to rectify that this year, but will I?

[JaNeal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a little different, but I really liked it. It has some great poems (though a couple caught me off guard) and a interesting perspective on the value of poetry. This book is not a beginner book, but it does covers a lot of the basics. If you're serious about writing poetry, it is definitely worth a look.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I attended a four day workshop led by the author at Vermillion Community College in Ely, MN, April 2011. It was my first serious entry into poetry writing since 1999. McDowell used techniques from his book, exploring various styles of verse.

I want to go back to basic fundamentals, such as meter and form, which are covered in detail in the book.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected this book to be more about incorporating poetry into spiritual practice and less about the nuts and bolts of poetry-writing. That said, I’d like to try some of the exercises later on. (This time, I just read the book through.)

[Foreign]

US: Leslie Meredith

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book didn't live up to its title. Which is too bad, because poetry as spiritual practice is a topic which deserves to be done well.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. Not a read front-to-end books. Did some of the exercises.
Read parts of this 2 or 3 times.

[Eric]

This was a gift and really hit me at the right moment to rediscover poetry. I've set it aside for the moment, but I feel there's more to plumb from the depths :)

[Rachel]

A wonderful Christmas gift from Tom. Even just the introduction is beautiful.

[Olga Hebert · Rating 3 out of 5]

More about reading and writing poetry than spiritual practice, but interesting and informative.