The meaning of poetry therapy is the use of poetry and its
accompanying interactive processes to achieve therapeutic goals
and enhance personal growth. Its main purpose is the persons'
well being resulting from the integration of awareness emotion
and imagination.
Poetry therapy has two directions: reading poetry and writing
poetry. Most of the research is related to the reading
of poetry during therapy. The professional literature is pointing
out the wide theoretical background, derived from the fields of
poetry and therapy, in contrast to the applied research
which is wanting. Researchers report enormous enthusiasm with
reading and writing poetry in a great variety of therapies.
The findings of most of them relate to functional improvement
and to "improved feelings" of the patients.
This study deals with the analysis of products written in poetry
therapy workshops (me-Shellee - Creative Poetry Therapy)
by children, youths and adults from a variety of populations,
while reacting to similar stimulations.
There are no known systematic studies of products analysis since they are considered as accompanying the therapeutic process rather than as its core.
The purpose of this study is to present a practical tool of creative
poetry therapy from an educational point of view. It's systematic
application in the educational system may contribute to growth
and development in the domain of mental health for the entire
population.
The aim of the study is to investigate the products of creative
poetry therapy workshops. The poetry products are seen as coded
communicational messages. Their analysis into components by
literary and psychological methods may supply information about
their characteristics and the general human nature of their addresses.
The uniqueness of this study is its relating to therapy through
the mediacy of the product. The attempt to identify in the product
therapeutic poetic characteristics emanating from the very
nature of poetry, and to discover in it expressions indicating
psychological needs, may illuminate poetry therapy from a
different angle.
This systematic analysis of products over a wide range, is a
novel approach in the field of poetry therapy. The underlying
questions of this study were to determine whether:
Another question has to do with variance: whether the variance
in the subjects is more profound than the variance in the
groups as opposed to the reasonable assumption that the differences
between the groups are so significant that they effect the
products.
The study involves 330 products which were randomly sampled
out of 1146 products written by participants of 11 creative
poetry therapy workshops, on 6 given subjects. 275 products
were sampled from the products of the ongoing writings
of the groups and 55 from the very last writing. In each workshop
there were 15-20 participants: school pupils from standard
schools, special education and gifted children, students of education
and teachers. All workshops met for 12 weeks, an hour and a
half each week. The variables studied were the characteristics
of the groups and the characteristics of the products.
The products were analyzed and its characteristics were coded
by preassigned criteria related to accepted literary and psychological
forms. The analysis relates to five subjects:
The workshops were conducted by leaders who studied the principles
of creative poetry therapy and activated them in identical fashion
in all the experimental groups. The workshops were structured;
the subject to be written on was given by name only, and the product
was written as the first spontaneous reaction to this stimulus,
without leading or criticism.
The environment of openness, respect and acceptance of every
writer and his products is typical of the whole process.
The 5 subjects which were sampled are "me", "a
flower", "a hand", "a cloud", and
"darkness". The sixth product was sampled in the last
meeting of the workshop and its subject was "Me-shellee
of my own". This subject is different from the others
by being related to the whole process in the workshop (feed-back).
The products were classified by subjects and groups. The first
five were analyzed by literary and psychological criteria.
The sixth was analyzed by content criteria only. A comparison
between numerical averages was made for the nominal parameters.
The statistical analysis was done by F test for variance analysis
of continuous variables. The content analysis was done
by objective criteria in a systematic way for every
item. The reliability of the research tools was obtained
through the agreement of independent referees.
The examination of the appearance of poetic characteristics
in the products such as short lines, rhythm, rhyme, repetitions,
anaphoras and images, indicates that the products possess
these characteristics. It was found that an "average product"
has 7 lines, with 4 words in each line. A systematic rhythm
appears in 75% of the products examined. Rhythm of 4 beats
is the dominating one, occurring in 60% of the products.
A rhyme of some sort appears in 83% of the products. Words
which are repeated at least twice and anaphoras appear in
all the subjects and all the groups.
A variety of images are frequently found in most products.
Words and verbs in the first person ("me-words")
occurred in almost all products, about one fifth of all
words, on the average. Expressions for a variety of emotions
were found in the products; at least one such expression
appears in each one. An optimistic overall point of view was
found in 56% of the products. A pessimistic one was found in
18%, and a "mixed" point of view in 26% of the products.
The content characteristics of the "world of images",
were counted and classified into categories. 20-26 categories
were found for each subject. The similarity among the
categories in the various groups and the nuances within each
of them, emphasize the uniqueness (variety among categories)
and the universality (the same categories for all groups) of
the products.
As to the expression of psychological needs: In all subjects
such an expression was found directly or indirectly through the
metaphors. It was found that the need for love and belonging
is uppermost in the hierarchy, followed by the need for being
appreciated, and then the need for self fulfillment.
The need for security is next and the physiological needs
are last.
In the "me" subject a strong need for appreciation
was found, followed by a strong need for love. In the "flower"
subject, a strong need for love was followed by a strong need
for fulfillment. In the "hand" subject a strong
need for love was followed by a strong need for appreciation.
In the "cloud" subject, a strong need for love was
followed by a strong need for appreciation and fulfillment.
In the "darkness" subject a strong need for security
was found, followed by a strong need for love and fulfillment.
Analysis of the feed-back product (of the last session) indicates
that the participants are aware of the effects of the creative
poetry therapy workshop. The indication of "enhancing
self confidence" was noted in 98% of these products,
"joy" was found in 76%, "catharsis"
in 73%, "learning" in 60%, "enhancing social
confidence" in 52%, and "initial difficulty" in
36% of the products.
The variance-analysis was to examine the significance of the
variance of the literary and psychological characteristics
in the products of the five subjects (excluding the final one)
with respect to the groups and the subjects. Significant
variance in the subjects was found in 4 anaphoras and in psychological
needs for security and for appreciation. Significant variance
in the groups was found in the number of words per product and
in double anaphoras. In both groups and subjects, significant
variance was found in the number of lines, and in the psychological
needs of fulfillment. Significant interaction was found in
threefold repetitions of a word, the "wealth of images",
the number of "me words", and in the relation to
the "me". It was also found in the presence of
feelings, physiological needs and needs for love and belonging.
Groups that differ in their population: Groups of adults as
compared with groups of children, groups of gifted children
as compared with groups of children having learning difficulties
and a group of youths. The leading theme of the research is that
despite the profound differences in the composition of
the groups, the products written in response to identical stimulations
are similar in all groups. The similarity is present in
the poetic indicators, and in the expression for psychological
needs. The difference is apparent in the unique content
structure of each product.
It was found that the products are short "me poems",
mostly with simple and "catchy" rhythms and rhymes.
A variety of feelings is present with an appeal to images and
senses. Moreover, psychological needs are voiced in all products,
among them the need for love and belonging being most
profound.
The group attitude of the writer is not the sole effector of the
characteristics in the products.
Analysis of the feed-back products strengthens the notion of
the therapeutic effect of the creative poetry therapy process.
There exists parallelism between the need of the "me",
the direct or indirect metaphorical answer to these needs
in the products and the conscious expression in the feed-back
product. "Catharsis" in feed-back relates,
perhaps, to the answer to "stress", "afraid",
"sad", "closed", "alone", in
the products; "enjoyment", "enhancing self confidence"
relates, perhaps, to the very success in writing and in beholding
the products.
The quantitative study proves that the products are poems and
that they are an answer to psychological needs. The qualitative
aspects of the study relate to products as therapeutic
messages, and this for the following reasons:
Poetry therapy wishes to purposely activate therapeutic processes
such as catharsis, insight, widening of self confidence,
and the enhancing of uniqueness and universality through poetry
writing.
It is therefore worthwhile to let it be integrated in the educational
system as part of a developmental programme aimed to enhance
the individual's strength to promote his mental health and improve
its quality.
Table of Contents (Hebrew Thesis)
Page Abstract ................................................VI
List of Tables ..........................................XII
List of Illustrations ...................................XVI
List of Diagrams ........................................XVII
Prolog ..................................................
1
A. Introduction
Chapter 1: Poetry Therapy:
Definition, History and Importance ..............................
3
1.1.2.1. Therapy in education 6
1.2. History of poetry therapy
............... 7
Chapter 2: Review of Literature
......................... 10
2.1.1. Poetry therapy and creative art .. 10
2.1.2. Poetry therapy and bibliotherapy.. 12
2.1.3. Poetry therapy and creative writing ................. 14
2.1.4. Poetry therapy and psychological needs .............. 17
2.1.5. Poetry therapy and poetry ........ 19
2.1.6. Basic concepts of poetry therapy.. 21
2.1.7. Basic assumptions of poetry therapy........................... 24
2.1.8. Aims of poetry therapy ........... 25
2.1.9. Sources of creative poetry therapy - summary ......... 26
2.2. Applied aspects ......................... 30
2.2.1. Problems brought out
by studies of poetry therapy ..... 41
Chapter 3: "Me-Shellee"
** Creative Poetry Therapy Workshop .............................
44
3.2. Poetry therapy in groups ................ 46
3.2.2. The group activity in the "Me-Shellee" workshop ..... 48
3.3. "Me-Shellee"
in practice ................ 51
Chapter 4: The Significance
of the Research and its Questions ............................
56
4.2. The uniqueness of the research .......... 56
4.3. Products written in creative poetry therapy workshops ....... 57
4.3.1. Models of products by structure .. 58
4.3.2. Models of products by sounds ..... 61
4.3.3. Models of products by images ..... 64
4.3.4. Models of products by uniqueness of ideas .............. 67
4.3.5. Summary: The total product ....... 69
4.3.6. Models of products by psychological needs .............. 71
4.3.7. Models of feed-back products as answer to psychological needs 75
4.4. The questions of the
study and its assumptions.............................. 76
Chapter 5: The Method ...................................
78
5.2. The variables ........................... 79
5.3. The process of the study ................ 79
5.4. The means of evaluation ................. 81
5.4.1. Literary analysis by structure, sound and images ................. 82
5.4.2. Content analysis of products and feed-back .................... 82
5.4.3. Analysis by psychological needs (according to Maslow Hierarchy) .. 83
5.4.4. The tools of research ............ 83
5.4.5. The reliability of the research tools ................... 85
5.4.6. Methods of product analysis ...... 86
5.4.6.1. Method of feed-back
analysis ................ 86
Chapter 6: Findings .....................................
88
6.1.1. Number of words .................. 88
6.1.2. Number of lines .................. 91
6.2. "Me" findings ........................... 92
6.2.1. Number of "Me" words and their verbs .................. 92
6.2.2. Intensity of relation to self in the products .................. 101
6.2.3. The nature of the connection between the speaking "me" and the subject....................... 104 6.3. Sound findings .......................... 111
6.3.2. Rhymes ........................... 116
6.3.3. Repetitions of words.............. 120
6.3.4. Anaphoras ........................ 124
6.4. Image findings - The wealth of the "world of images" ....................... 127
6.5. Findings related to the world of feelings................................. 130
6.5.1. Emotions ......................... 131 6.5.2. The general attitude of the speaking "me" ................... 136
6.5.3. General attitude and emotions .... 140
6.6. Content findings ........................ 143
6.6.1. Number of characteristics ........ 143
6.6.2. Number of categories ............. 147
6.6.3. Content analysis of categories ... 150
6.7. Psychological needs analysis findings ... 152
6.8. Feed-back content analysis findings ..... 159
6.9. Matching the findings
................... 162
Chapter 7: Discussion and
Conclusions ................... 165
Epilog ..................................................
193
References ..............................................
195
Appendixes:
Appendix I *Product Analysis
- Forms................... 225
Appendix II **Examples of Products of Creative Poetry Therapy Workshops.......... 233