Poetry as Spiritual Practice: Reading, Writing, and Using Poetry in Your Daily Rituals, Aspirations, and Intentions

Inspirational

This is a wonderfully evocative, lyrical and inspirational volume. If you are a practiced poet, or just beginning, or just want to use poetry in your spiritual practices, this book is a must-addition to your library. My copy is sitting on the nightstand, so I can refer to it whenever I need inspiration.

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Wonderful!

I loved this book. As a seeker, I look for ways to live a spiritually aware life. It has been many years since the mechanics of poetry and I shared a classroom. I found the book a delightful invitation back to the grace of the lyrical word. I enjoyed the selections of poetry that served as illustrations, and the exercises themselves are engaging and fun.

In a sense, this book is a guided course in the appreciation of poetry, as well as offering a way of connecting with your own inner poet. It is very readable as well as encouraging. It's as if the author was your personal coach, urging, "Yes, you can do this! You too can write poetry!" Many of the exercises are to be done with a partner (or not), making this small volume a good choice for a reading group or spiritual group to explore together.

This is a book I will return to, practice with, and share with both the seekers and lovers of the written word in my life. In fact, one day soon, I will pick up some Moleskine large format journals, add perhaps a candle, a bottle of wine, a variety of writing implements, maybe even a warm and cuddly throw, and put them all in an attractive box and gift them.

And then I'll do it again for someone other than myself!

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A reviewer

For those of us without academic training in the writing or understand of poetry, poets and their writing process seem unique and incomprehensible. And yet, we all long to put into words, to set down on paper, the moments of pure grace and serenity that we experience in our spiritual process, whether that process is rigorous or casual, structured or independently woven. Poetry as Spiritual Practice removes the mystique from the writing process and offers it to us in a development of method that is not only successful, but fun! McDowell leads us through the building blocks of traditional poetic forms in such a way as to make writing these forms effective. Applying the practice of writing poetry to our spiritual process is icing on the cake. If you¿ve ever longed to write poetry but were intimidated by the mystery of the forms, or even wondered just how to get started, this little book is a course in exactly that. With a friend, with your book group, or on your own¿pick up Poetry as Spiritual Practice and experience the joy of the poem, your poem. McDowell¿s manner is unpretentious, the poetry is accessible, the poetic forms demystified with simple clarity. You feel as if you are sitting with him over coffee playing around with words, and every so often you will sing out with joy as you hit upon your muse.

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I am broke but already like the book

I am a poet and have my own ideas on poetry i havent bought this yet but i will and the description i smy belief its amazing

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