Celebrate World Poetry Day 2022 With ImpactGuru

By: Zahabiya, Shrishaila

Published On: March 21, 2022

If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.

- Emily Dickinson

The 21st of March is designated as World Poetry Day. Poetry has been written, read and cherished in every culture around the world throughout history, and it is one of our most beloved mediums of expression. Poetry, as we already know can be simple or complex, can challenge traditional ideas of form and structure, and has been used as one of our most powerful mouthpieces for activism and change, and of course, to convey love and loss.

World Poetry Day was established by UNESCO to urge us to return to the tradition of poetry readings and to integrate poetry into other art forms such as music and dance. Rather than looking at poetry as an outdated art form or creative means of expression, one can observe its history and relinquish how it allows society to reclaim and affirm its identity. UNESCO reiterated that poems must be a common form of expression again, not just a lost art form.

Appreciating Poems

In honour of World Poetry Day, we, at ImpactGuru have revisited one of our most beloved poetry volumes that talk about being selfless and helping the world to be a better place. The verse from the poem above by Emily Dickinson is one such great example. Emily Dickinson, was an American lyric poet who lived in seclusion and commanded a singular brilliance of style and integrity of vision. Dickinson is widely considered to be one of the two leading 19th-century American poets.

True love is the type of love that is selfless. In the aforementioned poem, the poet expresses her desire to spend the rest of her life assisting others who are beset by heartache, great anguish, and despair. She exhibits her tender and compassionate side by wishing to assist a fainting robin back into the nest.

A striking example of the kind of person Emily Dickinson talks about in this poem is Mother Teresa. She was a saint for thousands of homeless, sick, and orphaned people. She worked hard to bring happiness into the lives of the terminally ill, the miserable, and the destitute who had no place in society. Mother Teresa dedicated her entire life to feed the hungry, tend to the sick, and wipe a tear from the faces of those in despair.

Are you also someone who would go out of the way to help a person, then check out:

Looking For Non-Financial Ways To Help People During This Pandemic?

A striking similarity between life and poems

If you take a moment to reflect, you'll find that you're surrounded by empathetic people who have been there for you. Friends, parents, instructors, loved ones and many others come to mind in this regard. They are there for you when you need a shoulder to cry on, to help you get back on your feet when you've given up, and to alleviate your pain when you're going through a tough point in life. On this World Poetry Day, you could find a way to express gratitude to these fortunate folks through beautiful words like Dickinson’s. You could also simply read the poems you love again and meditate on those words. After all, a better, more introspective you translates into a kinder, more self-aware friend, partner and family member. Another way to be more involved and empathetic is to identify opportunities to help another person or add value to a cause that means a lot to you.