One of the most polarizing types of literature in existence, most people either adore poetry or absolutely hate it. Assuming you fall under the category of the former and are struggling to figure out what type of poetry you should be writing, you are not alone. In fact, experts assert that every person has an inner poet just waiting to get out.

Plenty of poets experience the occasional internal conflict in terms of how much information about their personal lives to include. If you find this sentiment to be relatable, the following is a list of pros and cons of writing poetry about your personal life.

The Pros of Writing About Your Personal Life

No matter what genre of poetry you choose to write, there are some positive aspects of doing so. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons you should consider writing poetry about your personal life.

Tell Your Side of the Story

No matter what type of life you have had so far, you have undoubtedly gone through your fair share of struggles or traumatic events. These things can serve to undermine your mental health, cause you to feel isolated, anxious, fearful of success, shame, and much more.

But writing about your trauma and past can be a form of therapy. This is because it allows you to not only express untapped emotions, but it also makes it possible to be heard and finally feel understood by others.

For instance, if you suffer from addiction and have since recovered, some people may have formed negative opinions about you. By writing personal poems, you may be able to address what caused your addiction, your time in an alcoholism treatment program, and anything else you wish to write about to help people understand why your life has unfolded in the manner that it has.

Become More Self-Aware

Another major benefit of writing poetry about your personal life is that it may allow you to become more self-aware. Writing personal poetry will undoubtedly cause you to examine your life and emotions in order to write something that is both insightful and true to yourself.

It can give you the opportunity to think about what makes you happy, what makes you sad, and what makes you apathetic. In other words, writing poetry can be a great way to get to know yourself on a much deeper level.

Connect with Others

Still another benefit of writing personal poetry is that it can allow you to connect with others. No matter how great your life has been, you may have lived through things that have caused you to feel isolated from others.

By being open enough to express what you have experienced, you may be able to attract readers who have experienced similar situations. Over time, this will allow you to feel more connected to people of all kinds.

Cons of Writing Personal Poetry

On the other hand, although there are plenty of pros to writing poetry about your personal life, there are some cons as well. Some of which include:

Skepticism

No matter how open and honest you are in your poetry, there will undoubtedly be those who are skeptical about the things you write. While you may be tempted to become defensive or even argue with these people, this may not help them believe you or convince them into taking your side.

Therefore, it might be healthy to view such skepticism as an unfortunate element of writing personal poetry that you will have to endure.

Criticism

Another drawback of writing poetry about your life is that you may face criticism of all kinds. While some of this criticism may be positive or constructive, you may also receive your fair share of negative criticism.

Whether you choose to respond to this criticism, ignore it, or some mixture of these, it is unlikely that you will stop receiving unsolicited criticism anytime soon. This is especially the case if you are releasing your poetry on a platform that has a large audience.

Overall, there are plenty of pros and cons to writing poetry about your personal life. On the one hand, it can provide you with an outlet, allow you to feel heard, and help you become more self-aware. On the other hand, you must be prepared to deal with skepticism and criticism. Either way, if you are a true lover of poetry, remember why you love the genre in the first place.

Sources

crossway.org – 10 Things You Should Know About Poetry

helpguide.org – Emotional and Psychological Trauma

apa.org – Writing to heal

blog.americansforthearts.org – 5 Ways You Benefit from Writing Poetry! (from The pARTnership Movement)

penandthepad.com – Advantages & Disadvantages of an Autobiography