Name: The connective potential of poetry
Uploaded: 2020-06-03T15:29:10Z
Duration: 17 min 54 s
Description: To cut through the noise and disconnection of an increasingly digital world, poet William Sieghart proposes a centuries-old tool for connection - poetry. In this talk, he describes how the language of poetry can offer comfort in a time of isolation.

William Sieghart: The connective potential of poetry

The connective potential of poetry

To cut through the noise and disconnection of an increasingly digital world, poet William Sieghart proposes a centuries-old tool for connection - poetry. In this talk, he describes how the language of poetry can offer comfort in a time of isolation.

Poetry offers solace and connection in an era crowded with digital noise and social isolation. A powerful poem helped someone process the shock of witnessing a life-threatening accident, while a simple couplet printed on a mirror comforted a burglary victim through a dark night. From prescribing poems for anxiety in libraries to inspiring hope at the Olympics, the enduring language of poetry bridges time and difference, reminding people they are not alone. Even across centuries, verses can reach into modern lives and ease the weight of fear, loneliness, and longing.