Director's Note: The Quiet Joy of Reading Poetry

In a world humming with notifications, obligations, and endless noise, poetry offers something rare: a small, quiet room in which we can breathe. Reading poetry isn’t just an artistic pastime—it’s a way of slowing down, tuning in, and rediscovering wonder in the ordinary.

A Few Lines, Infinite Possibilities

One of the greatest joys of poetry is its ability to do more with less. A poem might be only a handful of lines, yet it can open a door into a feeling or a memory you didn’t realise you were carrying. The condensed language invites the reader to linger, to reread, and to uncover layers of meaning that keep unfolding.

A Conversation Across Time

When you read a poem, you become part of a conversation that spans centuries. You might find echoes of your own experience in the words of a poet who lived hundreds of years ago. Poetry reminds us that certain emotions—love, longing, hope, grief—are beautifully universal. There’s joy in recognising yourself in someone else’s voice, even if that voice is separated from you by an ocean or an era.

The Music of Language

Poetry lives in the way words sound. The rhythm of a line, the shape of a stanza, the melody of alliteration—these craft an experience that’s as much musical as it is literary. Reading poetry aloud, even softly, turns language into something you can feel in your body. It becomes a sensory delight, a reminder that words are not only tools, but textures.

Moments of Stillness

Perhaps the greatest joy in reading poetry is the permission it grants to pause. A poem doesn’t demand hours of your time, but it does ask for your attention—and in giving it, you enter a moment of stillness that the modern world seldom offers. You’re invited to savour a metaphor, to sit with an image, to let a line resonate long after you’ve turned the page.

A Gateway to Creativity

Poetry helps us notice things we usually overlook: the way sunlight pools on a table, or how a particular memory feels at the edges. Reading poetry gently trains the mind to think in metaphors, to appreciate nuance, and to view the familiar from a fresh angle. This shift in perspective often spills into the rest of life, sparking creativity in everything from writing to problem-solving to simple daydreaming.

A Joy You Can Carry Anywhere

Whether you read it in a thick anthology or on your phone during a commute, poetry is a portable refuge. A single poem can change the colour of your day, give language to a feeling you couldn’t articulate, or offer comfort at exactly the right moment.

In the end, the joy of reading poetry isn’t only in the poems themselves, but in what they awaken within us: curiosity, empathy, stillness, and a deep sense of connection—to ourselves, to others, and to the world.