A Psychological Use of Poetry in Crisis Situations, 1970

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SUMMARY The value of poetry lies not only in its aesthetic virtue, but also in the ability poetry has to resolve crisis situations that cannot be worked through in other ways. Bringing clarity to confusing problems, poetry can help one understand relationships, deal with tensions or get necessary distance from something. Perske uses poetry to commemorate a child with Down's syndrome, a colleague, and a nameless mentally retarded child, among other things.