Poetry at Work

Key takeaways

Poetry can be a meaningful addition to the workplace, providing moments of reflection, connection, and inspiration.
Introducing poetry into daily routines—such as sharing poems or taking poetry breaks—can enrich work life and foster community.
Poetry is accessible and does not require technical understanding; engaging with it simply through enjoyment or reflection is valuable.
Small acts, like posting a poem in communal spaces or studying one poem over time, can have significant positive impacts.
Poetry helps humanize others, promote empathy, and offer a different perspective on everyday experiences.

Summary

The Power of Poetry in the Workplace

This section explores how poetry can influence the work environment, serve as a bridge for connection among colleagues, ease tensions, and provide moments of reflection. Leslie Villasinormarshall shares her personal experience of celebrating 'Poetry at Work Day' by bringing in a poem about being 'like a pineapple,' which encourages standing tall, wearing a crown, and being sweet inside. The segment emphasizes that poetry can be a meaningful and uplifting element in daily professional life.

Historical and Personal Perspectives on Poetry

This part provides insights from poets and enthusiasts on how they discovered poetry and its significance in their lives. Laura Barkat recounts her early experiences with poetry and how she uses it for personal growth and community building through her website and projects like TweetSpeak Poetry. Don Share shares his lifelong engagement with poetry, his role at Poetry magazine, and how poetry can be a source of inspiration, provocation, and community, especially when integrated into routines and shared among colleagues.

Poetry as a Tool for Reflection and Connection

The discussion highlights how poetry encourages reflection, shifts in thinking, and emotional connection. Poems are described as seeds that can grow ideas or offer pauses that humanize and deepen understanding among people. Various poems are discussed, including 'This Is Just to Say' and 'A Ritual to Read to Each Other,' illustrating how poetry can address everyday frustrations, foster empathy, or simply offer comfort. The episode suggests that even small acts like posting a poem in a staff kitchen or studying a poem together for a year can make a difference in work culture.

Incorporating Poetry into Daily Life and Work Routines

Listeners are encouraged to integrate poetry into their routines, such as taking poetry breaks instead of social media scrolling, or sharing poems through emails or casual notes. Examples include a poem about clothes by Khalil Gibran and a poem about exhaustion by John O'Donohue, which serve as reminders to slow down, reflect, and care for oneself amid busy schedules. The episode concludes with a benediction and a reminder of the importance of occasional pauses for the soul.

Show notes

Some of our most famous poets had day jobs: Robert Burns was a tax collector; William Carlos Williams was a doctor; Audre Lorde was a librarian and professor. Poetry has a lot to say about work and can serve as a meeting place, a provocative memo, or a break from the daily grind. In this episode, we hear from the creator of Poetry At Work Day and the editor of Poetry magazine about the power of verse in the workplace. And some Basecamp colleagues share poems that are meaningful to them.

Show Notes

Days of the Year - 00:08

The origins of "Be A Pineapple" - 00:55

Poetry At Work Day 2020 - 2:00

Take Your Poet to Work Day - 2:18

Laura Barkat's website | Twitter - 2:26

"The African Chief" by William Cullen Bryant - 2:45

Tweetspeak Poetry - 3:06

"Wasp" by Tony Hoagland - 4:12

Don Share | Poetry magazine - 5:04

"The Instruction Manual" by John Ashbery - 5:22

"Toads" by Philip Larkin - 6:22