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How poetry can save your soul and the world

 

But does it make us better people? Poems have existed for thousands of years. Every human culture has written them. What makes them so special?

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Humans have created poems for centuries. Words can be hugely powerful. 

Audrey Azoulay is the head of UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Part of the UN, it seeks to build peace through international cooperation in education, the sciences and culture. . She says poems can be important, especially in difficult times. But why?

Poems exist everywhere. All human civilisations have written poetry.

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Now, they are becoming popular again. Last year, Amanda Gorman spoke at an event when Joe Biden became the US president. She was only 22. Now, her books are bestsellers.

But some people do not like poems. They say they are confusing and they leave people out. One writer says they are "pointless".

Others disagree. The Duchess of Cornwall thinks more children should learn poems by heart. 

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But do they make us better people?

Yes! They can help us understand what life is like for other people. There are lots of bad things going on in the world. Being able to feel for others is a really important skill.

No! Poems can be great, but they are too complicated. You have to be good at reading poems to understand what they mean. They do not bring people together - they can push them apart!

Keywords

Unesco - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Part of the UN, it seeks to build peace through international cooperation in education, the sciences and culture. 

Previous

How poetry can save your soul and the world

But does it make us better people? Poems have existed for thousands of years. Every human culture has written them. What makes them so special?

Glossary

Unesco - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Part of the UN, it seeks to build peace through international cooperation in education, the sciences and culture. 

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