Poems for myriad moods

You'll Never Walk Alone by Rachel Kelly is a thoughtfully collated anthology of poems selected to represent an assortment of emotions and categorised into metaphorical 'seasons of the mind'. From the reflective period of autumn to the joyfulness of summer, Kelly uses poems and passages to guide the reader through a year-round journey of emotional experiences.

The rhythmic ebb and flow of poetic verse mirror the fluctuating beat of our emotional lives. Whilst we have the ability to feel a myriad of moods, many people find it difficult to describe the depths of grief, the intensity of despair, or the suffocation of anxiety. 

For some, finding the language to express their experience of different emotions can be a barrier to understanding themselves or being understood by others. You'll Never Walk Alone positions itself as a creative tool for bridging this gap, with 'poems for life's ups and downs'.

By its nature, poetry is a vessel for conveying stories, evoking feelings, and conjuring imagination. Kelly's considerate curation of poems serves to normalise and validate emotions, the reader is comforted in the knowledge that the poetic writers have shared their feelings. 

Kelly's opening statement summarises this perfectly, 'Through poetry, we discover other people who have experienced similar sentiments, and we are not solitary in our despair or indeed our delight'. From a psychological perspective, providing this understanding can be powerful in the journey of self-acceptance and self-compassion.

In each seasonal chapter, the poems and passages can be used as an exercise for developing emotional awareness and self-reflexivity. From American actor and author Portia Nelson who conveys frustration at falling into the same mistakes whilst journeying through life, to British poet Stevie Smith who eloquently describes the struggle of depression; each piece has a meaning and invites personal interpretation.

In terms of psychological wellbeing and tools for mental health, poetry presents a creative option for exploring and nurturing emotional experience; by reading and reflecting or putting thoughts on paper and writing a few lines.

As a Clinical Psychologist and an enthusiast of poetry, I find myself drawn to the fusion of expressive story-writing and therapeutic work. This combination is evident in psychological approaches including narrative therapy or for example compassionate letter writing. Kelly's anthology is a joy to read and reflect on.

Reviewed by Dr Poppy Harding, Clinical Psychologist