Poetry
Its riches and its dangers
October 2nd 2013
Much could be said concerning the effects of poetry on adolescent sensitivities. Poetry, it is true, can allow access to the world of the soul and spirit, and much better than religion. For poets are known for their ability to contact extremely subtle realities and express them in their works. But some of the perceptions they convey with such talent carry their readers away to the twilight regions of the astral plane. Of course those regions have a kind of beauty; they are seductive and induce revery, and they allow us to escape from the coarse material world. But it is dangerous to dwell there, for they cloud the mind and paralyse the will, which is harmful for adolescents, whose character is still forming.
It is certainly enriching for adolescents to read the poets, but they should also be made to understand that the place to seek true poetry is within themselves – yes, they must live their life as poetry.