Poetry

AI's "Scripture is Poetry"

Poetry is the use of language designed to elicit a purely emotional response rather than a rational one. It uses allegory and associations to conjure memories, produce novel thoughts, and convey the ineffable.

"The limerick packs laughs anatomical

Into space that is quite economical.

But the good ones I've seen

So seldom are clean

And the clean ones so seldom are comical"

-Limerick of Unknown Origin

Scripture is poetry. It is not meant to be taken literally. It often employs soaring, wonderous language that elicits inspiration and joy. Inspirational poetry seems a lot less worrisome than authoritarian dogma, but people have both perspectives about scripture.

Poetry is great for neuroplasticity, since it juxtaposes words and concepts that you would normally never encounter together to create meaningful metaphors and emotional connections.

Jennifer Michael Hecht's book The Wonder Paradox: Embracing the Weirdness of Existence and the Poetry of Our Lives is an excellent guide to using beautiful secular poetry to create a sense of the sacred without invoking the supernatural. Here are some podcast interviews with her about it. [1][2][3]

Poetry as Religion - Jennifer Michael Hecht on The Gray Area

She advocates that each of us select some of our favorite poems to have on hand to help commemorate important occasions like anniversaries, funerals, and holidays. Poetry helps us say the things we can't easily express, especially when they involve powerful emotions. A reading can really help people embrace the importance and symbolic meaning behind the occasion.

Yale Divinity Bible Study: Psalms, The Psalms of Poetry

Famous Poets Reading Their Poems (64 Videos)

Rumi Poems (95 Videos)

The Illusion - Words of Baha'u'llah