Poetry

We all need poetry, and not only for its role as the language of the heart, but also as a powerful introspective and communicative tool. A communication tool that goes beyond the boundaries of storytelling, as poetry evokes emotions and reflections that have the power to transform its listener or reader into an agent by encouraging perspective taking. Poetry also seems to be everywhere, even in areas where one would not suspect its presence, such as diplomatic speeches or political rhetoric.

So let us explore together this embodied language of the heart, that has accompanied humans for so long, even before the invention of writing, and seems to have a strong hold on our emotions and cognition.

But before we embark into a discussion, let some of us (who want to) first share our favourite poem, and go with the flow of its musicality. Following our recitation, we'll start our discussion with the following questions:

• What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘poetry’?
• What role does poetry play in your culture?
• Do you think that poetry is important or rather accessory? What can poetry teach us about life or ourselves?
• How do you think poetry first started? Why do think it’s still present in our lives?

Looking forward to sharing with you a poetic evening :)

To build together a fruitful, respectful, and inspiring conversation, please be aware of the following ground rules:

• Listen respectfully, without interrupting.
• Listen actively and with an ear to understanding others' views.
• Comment on ideas, not individuals.
• Commit to learning, not debating. Comment in order to share information, not to persuade.
• Avoid blame, speculation, and inflammatory language.
• Allow everyone the chance to speak.
• Avoid no-shows and late drop-outs to be fair towards the participants in the waitlist and the organizer. Please be aware that more than 2 no-shows and drop-outs will exclude you from the next meetups.
• Avoid showing up to the event if you are not part of the attendees list to be fair towards the waitlist members and the organizer.
• Be mindful and present during the discussion and avoid being on your phone - after all, it's the beauty of a face-to-face social interaction.